Silent Melody
by Shrrg
Summary: In the world Madoka's wish created, the three remaining Puella Magi struggle to coexist. What follows is a tale of struggle, love, and cynicism. Kyou/Homu eventually. R&R?
1. The Violent Rhythm

Chapter 1: The Violent Rhythm

The red ribbon twined around the crown of Homura's head snapped lightly against the back of her neck in the gripping wind as the girl sat crouched behind a stone outcropping, observing the thickening miasma a number of stories below her feet. The air around her skin sank its frigid teeth into her, but the girl easily shrugged it off. Conditions which would have inconvenienced others were but common acquaintances to her environment now; countless nights had been burned away slinking through the freezing night sky.

"It seems you aren't capable of personally manufacturing every explosive on the market," A hunched, shrouded shadow remarked, hidden from the moon's influence so that only its gleaming red eyes shone through.

Homura finished priming her shield and tucked her hair behind her ear before glancing unfeelingly at her companion. "No, I could. But there wouldn't be enough time to actually put them to use if I put the effort in."

Shifting her weight, she rose to her feet and observed the building sitting across the alley. It was a broad, flat warehouse, generally one with the darkness save for a few dimly glowing lights within. It was a Yakuza hideout, one of many scattered throughout the city. Homura had an unavoidable reason to have an interest in this particular location tonight, but she usually would have stayed away from areas where potential conflicts could erupt and force her to expend unnecessary energy.

A wry smile tugged at the corners of the magical girl's lips. _Kyubey is rubbing off on me. _She laughed at it now, but at times when the night crowded around her, suffocating and unforgiving, Homura lamented the gradual withering of her own humanity. Her existence had once been entirely comprised of objectives and means to various ends, and even in this new universe which Madoka's desires had manufactured, such a fate continued to haunt her. When she had first begun to leap back in time to rewrite another's demise, she had begun to consider Kyubey's race to be the very antithesis to her own.

Now she could only watch as she became more and more like an Incubator.

Breathing heavily through her nose and shaking her head to clear the vindicating thoughts, Homura raised her shield arm so Kyubey could leap up onto her shoulder. Once she felt the weight of the alien's mass on her person, the Incubator's voice spoke into her ear.

"True enough. More and more demons are appearing every night. Taking a break to gather supplies today will mean more work tomorrow."

"Well, you'll have to manage," Homura replied blandly as she crouched as to more effectively spread her wings. "You wouldn't want me dying simply from running out of equipment, would you?"

"That would set our energy collecting schedule back significantly," The white skinned creature admitted, as its contractee's back shimmered for a moment and produced two widely bearing wings. Leaping down from the ledge she had been occupying, the girl allowed herself only one strong, stealthy buffet to keep herself from striking against the pavement below. Landing soundlessly on her toes, Homura readied her shield and checked both ends of the alley for any witnesses. Finding none, she set her jaw and reached up to begin scaling the side of the warehouse.

Kyubey's weight on her shoulder made the climb require a modicum more exertion, but she didn't find it inconvenient enough to evict the creature. The alien seemed to enjoy observing her fighting and stealth techniques, apparently rather intrigued by the concept of battling through the manipulation of time, and Homura was willing to accommodate for this to a certain extent. After all, she no longer had a reason to hide the secrets and advantages of her magic.

Not since then.

Flexing her gloved hands, Homura launched herself upwards and seized the edge of the warehouse's scaffolding. She could have used her abilities to simply fly to the top of the building, but such a move would have attracted too much attention, and she was more than aware of the Yakuza's habits of being overprotective of their merchandise. She had even had to reduce the amounts of weapons she stole during raids, because if even a slight discrepancy was noticed security would be tripled during the next infiltration. Just another complication among many.

_Two months._ Homura swung her leg over the ledge of the roof at last and hauled herself atop the warehouse, feeling her arm hairs prickle where they met the frozen metal. Two months since she had awoken in a restructured universe, the sole individual who was aware that such a change had ever taken place. Two months since she had first seen the red ribbons pooling in her hands and realized the extent of her friend's sacrifice. Two months before witches were removed from the fabric of existence, thus ceasing the endless cycle of despair and curses which had taken Miki Sayaka from them.

Picking her way across the flat steel surface, Homura reached one of the skylights and peeked over the edge of the opening to observe the situation. She had actually been surprised for a moment to note the turning of a month for the first time in what had to have been eternity; she had spent a thousand lifetimes trying to break the cycle by preventing Madoka's death, a stretch so long that the very concept of time had shrunk to encompass only the single month in which she had worked in. Thus, being able to wake up one morning and actually turn the page on her calendar had felt oddly surreal to her.

Normalcy had become an anomaly.

It had also forced her to accept the current circumstances. As Homura eyed the various guards patrolling the warehouse's confines with clubs and bats slung lazily over their shoulders, she remembered the promise that had been made to her before the very fabric of reality had been twisted and torn apart. A promise that she and Madoka would meet again, despite being on different planes of existence, despite the fact that her best friend had become nothing greater than a concept, the concept of hope itself.

It was a vow Homura knew she couldn't trust, no matter who it may have come from. The world never allowed for such miracles.

Waiting until no guards were watching the specific area under the skylight, she slipped through the opening and landed softly on the mesh walkways criss crossing just under the roof. Keeping low to obscure her profile, the time user slipped down the ladders under she reached ground level, darting to hide behind a pile of sturdy crates. There were only about five lights overhead to light the massive interior, the lack of illumination giving the rusted walls a sickly, seething look. Breaking cover to roll behind another pile of boxes, Homura waited until Kyubey caught up to her to eavesdrop of the guards' conversations.

"The boss is too fucking paranoid, if you ask me," A gruff voice complained from somewhere down the side.

"I don't totally disagree with you, but it's not like anybody's going to convince him to let up a little," Another voice responded. Keeping careful track of the distance of the voices, Homura murmured, "Don't let go," To Kyubey before activating her shield's magic.

Her surroundings immediately froze, although the chance was not especially noticeable as nothing had really been moving to begin with. All color of all spectrum's were drained from the environment, leaving everything black and gray around her as the girl jammed the rim of her shield into the lid of a box and began to pry it open. Homura had wondered at first as to why all of her surroundings lost their hues when she froze time; after some consideration, she had concluded that since time had been stopped, the light wavelengths around her must have as well. An object's color was usually determined by the speed of the wavelengths it gave off through light, so when all movement was halted all color would flee as well.

[_Why not just drive out the guards and claim this entire stash for yourself?] _Kyubey questioned through his telepathy. If the inquiry had come from anybody, no, any_thing_ else, she would have considered it an attempt to goad her into an evil deed. But this was Kyubey, and it was obvious that the remark had only been made out of a desire for practicality.

[_I don't want to hurt them. Besides, I don't need so much,] _Homura replied curtly as she reached into the now open crate and began scooping flash grenades into a sack she had brought along with her.

[_Perhaps not now, but all this equipment could last you for years,] _Kyubey pressed as it glanced about at the mountains of boxes around them. [_I'm sure it'll end up being worth the expense of only a few individuals.]_

_[Human life is a value, not a statistic,] _Homura replied without attempting to press her own points. She had given up on trying to comprehend or revert the alien's mindset long ago. The culture and civilization Kyubey hailed from was different from theirs in every imaginable aspect. Truly, an antithesis to humanity.

She couldn't see it, but Homura imagined the white creature blinking its blank ruby eyes. [_Values can change.]_

Deciding that she wouldn't deign to answer that reversal, Homura tied her sack closed and replaced the lid on the now empty crate. The Yakuza probably wouldn't notice this one little theft. Checking her time and realizing she was running out of it, she quickly crept back up to the skylight and pulled herself onto the rooftop before allowing her powers to recede.

It was like the entire world had let out a breath it was holding. It did, in a way, as the wind was released and ran swiftly by her ear again. The cars rolling past her resumed their journeys, and colors slowly returned to paint the vivid portrait of reality. Standing still for a moment, Homura allowed herself a moment to readjust. Returning from time-freeze always made her realize that there was no such thing as complete and utter inactivity. The universe itself was always moving, seething, vibrating.

Suddenly feeling like a great weight had spontaneously accumulated upon her shoulders, Homura caved in and allowed her shoulders to sag momentarily. Madoka's wish had broken the malicious cycle, but this had only been replaced by a lesser evil.

_When will this end?_ Her mind began to break free of its usual self confinement. She had found that the best way to evade the more entrapping conclusions of her life was to not think about them; but no one could even deny that they were always there, lurking beneath the surface. Ready to break her.

Flexing her knees, she leapt to the adjacent building, Kyubey bounding after her. A burning sun broke the cloud cover and began its steady rise over the horizon to her right, bleeding its rays over the sluggish cityscape. The abrupt brightness caused Homura to squint and turn her head in the opposite direction, forcing her to look at the parts of the city still wrapped in the night's arms.

There, the magical girl thought as she took in the vapor curling lazily upwards from a smokestack, was what she was fighting to protect. This world, or perhaps more specifically this city, and all its inhabitants which Madoka had sacrificed herself for. Homura felt no affection towards her home herself; many of her fellow demon hunters may have criticized her for battling not for her own desires, but another's.

Initially, she had felt utterly alone at the realization that only she herself retained any reputable memories of Madoka. Then she had realized that her isolation paled in juxtaposition to her friend's; Homura was not completely isolated in her suffering. Madoka was.

Blinking hard and running a couple fingers through her long black mane to calm herself, Homura said, "Let's go," To Kyubey before unfurling her wings and taking off into the night sky.

* * *

Homura could feel her heart rate immediately relaxing when her fingers brushed across the worn wood of her front door, pushing open the entrance to slip inside. Her residence was a tall, narrow building sitting between a Y-intersection within an area of the city which had missed the recent wave of urban redevelopment. She could see the vast, reaching arcs of the city's more advanced regions over the rooftops from her second story window, but the immediate neighborhood around her was more rugged. Retro-modern, she used to call it.

Her own building was designed in what might have been called a Victorian style, but Homura couldn't claim to possess any particular knowledge in architecture. That was one regret she had; what with battling demons, keeping up with surveillance and trying to grasp the implications of the restructured universe, there was hardly any free time for even a minuscule devotion to her education. She worked hard enough to earn passable grades, but she never achieved anything spectacular. Homura knew it was best to lurk under the radar, anyway. Despite her desires.

The familiar atmosphere wreathed around her when she entered the hall and shut the door behind her, plunging everything into darkness. Reaching out to her side, she flicked a switch and waited as the lights fixed to the ceiling flickered to life. Finally, Homura let her guard down as she shrugged off her jacket and kicked off her shoes, setting them neatly by the entrance before treading deeper within her domain.

This building had always been of great comfort to her. She had been set up here a very long time ago, long before she had ever met Madoka or heard of the Puella Magi. It had been a massive relief when she had first leapt back in time to be able to return to something she recognized. Throughout all the timelines and various universes, her home had remained one of the few constants. It was her command centre, a place for planning, a place to retreat to.

The walls around her widened considerably as she entered the central room. A broad, sturdy table sat between two semicircular couches, which in turn was surrounded by even larger ones. Yet the most notable feature of her room was, of course, the multitude of screens fixed to the walls, or even hanging around the edges of the interior, each one displaying its own special brand of information. A few were dedicated to watching the area around her building, wired directly to security cameras hidden to inform her of any unwanted visitors, but the vast majority were there to supply information on her targets.

Kyubey stalked out of the shadows at the corner of the room and leapt atop the table, sitting back on its haunches to take in the sight. "You've gathered a considerable amount of information," The alien observed.

Homura took a seat on the inner couch and leaned back on one of her hands. "Yes. I haven't been able to deduce any patterns in the demons' appearances, though. They appear to be totally randomized."

The white creature turned its egg-shaped head and glanced at another screen. "This is..." He began to say.

She finished it for him. "The hunting patterns of the other two," She supplied, by which she meant Mami and Kyouko.

If it had been capable of it, Kyubey would have frowned. "Why are you tracking their movements? It doesn't benefit you in any way."

"I have an obligation to protect them," Homura said without emotion. She wanted to ensure Kyubey understood that monitoring Mami and Kyouko was also part of their mission, but she didn't want to appear overly sentimental about it, either. After all, the Incubators' race didn't value expression.

"Does this have to do with your theory again?" Kyubey asked her, cocking its head in her direction.

"It's not a theory," Homura insisted. Honestly, she didn't even know why she tried to convince the white rat about the alternate reality only she remembered. Even she herself had to admit that it seemed entirely implausible that such a thing had ever taken place. But Madoka _was_ real, and her memories were real, and Homura had long since decided never to fully trust anyone but herself.

Kyubey twisted its body and lay on its back, showing a smooth white underbelly. "I'm not implying that such a thing never could have taken place. It is entirely possible. But the likelihood is extremely microscopic, not to mention that there is no evidence around to suggest such a happening."

"You told me yourself that she elevated herself onto an entirely different existential scale after making that wish," Homura replied. "Even you would have to admit that the very existence of magical girls defies logic. So why couldn't one become a god?"

The alien crouching on her table picked itself back up and turned to face her fully. "Again, it isn't entirely impossible. But what does it matter now? If this Madoka you speak of really exists as a god, we no longer have anything to do with her."

"This has everything to do with her," Homura reversed, allowing her natural frown to cut a little deeper into her face. "Her sacrifice is the entire reason why I'm fighting. It's the driving force behind every arrow I fire and every demon I slay."

Kyubey shook itself and looked back at the screen displaying Mami and Kyouko's movement patterns. "Is that why you choose to watch over them?"

"Yes. I was never particularly fond of either of them, but Madoka chose to breathe life back into their bodies. I won't let that go to waste."

"What will you do, then?" The white creature countered, floundering its voluminous tail to emphasize its inquiry. "Recruit them to fight by your side? There is a reason why the three of you drifted apart, after all."

Unfortunately, Homura could not dispute that. In the wake of Miki Sayaka's death, there had been a great conflict among the three who remained. Mami and Kyouko had struggled initially to accept the blue haired girl's passing, but Homura, who had already experienced the tragedy long ago, had not been as easily effected. No, she was more preoccupied with coping with the idea that her best friend had become a concept, an idea.

While her companions obviously didn't completely understand the reasoning behind her lack of mourning, they understood enough to take offense. And Kyouko, being the most passionate of them all, had risen to her feet, driven by her rage, regret and confusion, and seized Homura by the collar. Why wasn't she mourning? Why didn't she care? What could possibly be so important as to eclipse the loss of their friend? How could you call yourself human? Homura had looked back at the redhead's eyes, seen the angry questions thrashing within them, and despaired upon realizing that she could never answer them. It had become clear to her at that moment that no one else solidly remembered Madoka.

Self justification had become an impossibility.

That incident had been the beginning of the end. Only more questions followed Homura afterwards. Why did she shirk away from them as if they were ghosts? Why did she grow so uneasy whenever her Soul Gem was on the verge of shattering, when they could simply be replaced? Why couldn't she tell them where those red ribbons had come from?

_Because you died! Because before, it meant the end. Because you would never believe me, _Homura had screamed at them in her head with every accusation, every suspicious probe. She had managed to bring up the topic of Madoka only once, and it had been brushed off as "a bullshit excuse," by Kyouko. The rift between herself and the other two, which had at this point become quite literally universal, became too much of a hindrance during hunting sessions. Even Mami began to scrutinize the odd nature of Homura's abilities; how was she so particularly strong, and where had the wings come from? What had already been an uneasy alliance quickly soured under such circumstances.

So she had begun to take kills on her own. She no longer waited at designated rendezvous points for her companions, instead opting to work alone. From an objective standpoint, this was actually beneficial; fighting alongside Mami and Kyouko had had its advantages, but ultimately the pairing had slowed her down. Homura knew this conclusion should have satisfied her, but it only wrenched the emptiness inside her heart a little bit wider. Firstly, it meant that she was neglecting Madoka's sacrifice by not watching over those she had chosen to save.

And secondly...secondly, it meant that now she was truly, and utterly, alone.

The realization had almost broken her. Over the countless time leaps, Homura had learned how to steel her emotions to almost any sort of trauma, but now that her mission was completed the girl's mental resolve had crumbled somewhat. This allowed for the softer, _fleshier_ version of herself to emerge more prominently in her actions. The timid, compliant Homura who had always been so naive and faithful.

She had walked away from her companions in a storm of confusion. In her frustration, Homura had genuinely wondered why Madoka had chosen to save such individuals, even if they were fellow Puella Magi. She had set herself on a path to exist separately from them by choosing to leave their company rather than flesh out their issues. Yet there were nights when, in the back of her mind, the magical girl had considered the fact that she may have been mistaken in her judgement.

_Impossible,_ she had dismissed initially. How could she, who was vastly more experienced and aware of the situation, be in the wrong? Yet there was always the nagging question. Madoka may have been naive, but she was not foolish. Her best friend must have seen some particular worth in Mami and Kyouko to salvage their souls. And so, after months of deliberating and backtracking, Homura had decided to try and resolve her ties to her companions. Partly to prevent Madoka's wish from being for naught.

Partly to satiate her own curiosity.

"The reason why we broke apart was a lack of communication," Homura said at last firmly. "I failed to explain myself properly to them, and I can't blame anybody for reacting negatively to that. If I go back and fix our misunderstandings, I don't expect any additional obstacles."

Kyubey just offered back its usual blank stare. "Whatever you say. As long as I get to do my job. Just remember, the lives of two Puella Magi aren't worth the battle against entropy." The white creature leapt deftly off the table it had been occupying and padded along the slick ivory floor to leave, only to pause as if a thought had occurred to it. Then, shaking its head, the alien murmured, "I never will comprehend your race," Before melding into the shadows.

_The feeling is entirely mutual._

Rising from her seat, Homura walked across the room to go to bed. It had been a long day; rest was always a requirement. She paused for a moment at the door, glancing at the axe-like pendulum making its endless courses through the air, and was reminded of the difference between a constant and an inevitability.

Flicking the lights off, she retired for the night.

The sound of scratching pencils dominated the airspace as the class worked at the test which had been distributed to them. Homura, who had completed the exam several minutes prior, sat observing her peers think while waiting for the period to end. She was occupying her customary seat in the second row, meaning she could only stare at so many people without turning around and looking ridiculous. She had always been the type to favor the back end of the classroom, actually, but such a placement would worsen her grades which were so difficult to maintain to begin with. Homura was simply glad demons did not appear during the mornings or afternoons. That would have certainly wreaked havoc on her schedule.

Finally losing interest in her classmates, the magical girl turned her head and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day, featuring a vibrant sun and few clouds to speak of. However, she enjoyed the sight for different reasons than most. More sunlight meant less demons.

Glancing back at the students chewing their pencils intensely beside her, Homura briefly wondered what they were all planning to do once school let out. She had never been particularly popular, previously due to her shy disposition and currently because of her cold, aloof one. However, she knew better than to isolate her classmates. Complete alienation was an excellent breeding ground for resentment. She had been made aware of this in the very first timeline, where her inability to speak to others, be proactive and general aura of helplessness had earned her a fair share of enemies. Only Madoka's interference had stemmed the bullying.

No, she never forcibly isolated herself from her classmates, but she never involved herself with them either. She replied in kind whenever a "good morning" or "see you tomorrow" was sent her way, but she also made sure to politely refuse any invitations to hangouts or gatherings until most others knew simply not to ask her. She was genuinely aloof but not resented, respected but not sought after. To Homura, this was the perfect balance. Her teachers didn't expect her to excel, but they knew she wouldn't fail either. Some of the boys in various grades had even begun to refer to her as the [Final Boss], the "lone unconquerable girl" of the school, a prospect Homura had found amusing enough to not put a stop to.

Her spiel of thoughts were broken when the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch period. Gathering her things, Homura waited until her desk folded back into the floor before leaving the room. Normally, she would have taken her time, but today the girl had a mission.

_Mami usually eats in the garden area,_ Homura remembered as she brushed past the multitude of teenagers bustling through the halls, making her way towards her shoe locker. _I'll have to catch her before her friends come and mob her._

It was true. Despite her similar status as a Puella Magi, Mami Tomoe seemingly had zero difficulties with her social standing. Peers and underclassmen alike seemed inclined to flock towards the accommodating blonde, most likely due to her naturally benevolent disposition. Homura was not entirely sure if her senpai actually went out and spent time with the multitude of friends she had, but she seriously doubted it. Not with the obligations they both bore.

Personally, Homura disapproved of the blonde's decision to actively seek out and maintain friendships. Such ties could only become liabilities and obstacles to their true mission later. But that had never been any of her business, so she had never offered a rebuke, even before. Then the girl remembered she was about to make it her business, and sighed. She may have clashed significantly with Kyouko and their polar opposites in ideals, but Mami Tomoe would always irk her for different reasons.

Homura was so absorbed in thinking about her plans that she didn't notice the little white note falling out of her locker until she had shut it and was about to walk away. Catching the movement out of the corner of her eye, however, the black haired girl stooped over and retrieved the paper. She frowned thoughtfully at it, unable to recall any recent events which may have initiated such a happening. Who could it possibly be from?

Deciding it was best to be cautious, she waited until the locker halls emptied completely of students before unfolding the note. Her eyes took in neat, somewhat stylish handwriting, but it couldn't be said for sure whether another girl had laid them down. The paper itself was blank aside from its contents.

_Meet me on the school roof when you read this. I would like to talk to you about something._

Homura reread the note three, four, five times. Still uncovered no clues as to who the messenger may be. Pursing her lips, she tore up the note and tossed the remains into the trash. Whatever the occasion was, she couldn't allow it to distract her from her current objective.

The girl was about to slip into her shoes and leave in pursuit of Mami when a thought occurred to her.

What if it was from Mami?

Due to their split, as well as the natural barrier between senpai and kouhai, it had become nearly impossible for the two of them to interact with each other during school hours. Plus, Tomoe seemed the type to go around leaving obscure messages in people's shoe lockers.

Stopping in her tracks, Homura turned and looked back at the disposal bin she had thrown the note into. Was it worth taking a chance? The blonde may have something truly dire to tell her, and if this was true she didn't want to waste time searching for her in the gardens. After a moment's contemplation, Homura set her jaw and changed her course, now heading deeper into the school, towards the staircases.

The steel steps clacked loudly beneath her heeled shoes as the girl climbed. There was an elevator to the roof, but it was reserved for staff and those with severe handicaps. She could have used her magic to freeze time before making it to the roof, thus saving precious minutes, but decided to save her energy for that night's hunting.

_Let's just hope I didn't make a mistake._

Her eyes detecting sunlight streaming through a window above her, and soon she reached the door to the roof. Walking up to the bar, Homura hesitated for a moment before steeling herself and pushing it open. She couldn't totally refute the truth of what Kyubey had said; rekindling her relationship with another magical girl would only place a greater burden upon her shoulders later. But it was a weight Homura was willing to bear if it was part of the cause she fought for.

The hinges creaked softly as they yielded before her, the opening letting in a light breeze that stirred the lips of her long locks. Slipping through and letting the door fall shut behind her, Homura cast about for the true sender of the message, expecting to at least see a person of interest.

What she got instead went totally against her expectations.

A boy. A _boy._ Standing leaning against the fencing with an incredibly nervous expression painted across his countenance, arms hiding something behind his back. They made eye contact over the distance which separated them, and Homura was astonished to see a flush dominate the boy's face. Licking his lips in an apparent effort to gather himself, her peer made to close the space between them.

Homura waited until the boy reached her, mind silently racing behind a stony expression. What in the world was this? Even if the note's writer didn't happen to be Mami, she had at least expected it to be Kyouko, or perhaps even Kyubey...

Leave. She had to leave. Whatever the boy's intentions were, she didn't have time to tangle herself within them. Her heels her were just beginning to twist into the concrete when a voice called out to her.

"A-Akemi-san. I...didn't think you'd actually come."

_Damn,_ Homura thought. Even now, there probably wouldn't be any severe consequences if she simply ignored those words and left through the door, but she also couldn't be sure that this boy wouldn't make a big issue out of it to his friends. Rumors were the last thing she needed swirling around her.

Turning back to the boy, who she recognized as Takanashi-san from her homeroom class, she forced what she hoped looked like a warm smile, although it probably came out more as a grimace. "Ah...well, of course I did. You sent me a note, after all."

Inwardly, Homura was kicking herself viciously. It had indeed been foolish to alternate her plans simply to answer a summoning from someone who couldn't even sign the letters he sent. Her rationale told her that she shouldn't be so eager to escape the atmosphere, seeing as it was now far to late to catch Mami before others did. Still, it was her paltry social skills which frightened her. She could handle spontaneous conversations in the classroom, but here, alone with Takanashi on the roof...the girl was truly at a total loss.

Takanashi laughed awkwardly at the comment, though Homura hadn't found it amusing in the slightest. "Well...yes, I do suppose that makes sense." An unbearable silence settled in around them.

Realizing finally that it was up to her to kickstart the conversation, Homura flicked her eyes down at the boy's elbows and asked, "So...you called me here for a reason?"

He started at the question, apparently just remembering the thing he was hiding behind his back. Regaining a bit of his flush, Takanashi replied, "Oh...yes, of course. I just wanted to tell you something, Homura..."

Her ears twitched at the sudden use of her given name, feeling the odd sensation in her stomach intensify. She was fervently hoping that this wasn't going to end the way she thought it would, but evidence didn't particularly favor this prayer.

Blinking hard, Takanashi took a few steps back before abruptly bowing down at the waist. Pulling his hands out, the boy revealed the box of chocolates he had been hiding and cried out, "I've always admired you, Homura-san! Please accept my feelings!"

Despite having braced herself for the impact, she couldn't help herself from feeling at the very least exasperated by the confession. Even if Homura already knew she would have to reject him, the situation itself was more than enough to constitute complete embarrassment. She was again tempted to activate her time-freeze, if only to grant herself a few minutes to think over her reaction, but her magic wasn't really worth utilizing at the moment.

Realizing that Takanashi was still feverishly awaiting her response, Homura closed her eyes and let her familiar stone cold countenance descend upon her. Then, parting her lips, she said, "I appreciate how you feel about me, Takanashi-san..."

The boy looked up, eyes shining with hope.

"...But I'm afraid I can't accept your feelings."

Crushed. Homura knew she should have felt pity but didn't, knowing that her response was best for both of them. Struggling with his words for a moment, Takanashi stood back up before mumbling,

"Is there...a particular reason why?"

She hated lying to people. "I'm...just not in the position to have that sort of relationship with anyone right now," She said levelly, distributing enough emotion into her words to avoid coming off as uncaring, but still maintaining an unbiased tone. "I'm busy with family affairs, and...it just wouldn't work out as things are at the moment. I'm sorry."

The boy standing before her didn't say anything back. Homura wondered for a moment if she had failed in her diplomacy, and if the cursory looks and hushed whispers would be waiting for her at homeroom the next morning. In spite of her efforts to end this interaction peacefully, Homura truly cared very little for Takanashi's infatuation. And she called it infatuation because it would be ridiculous for the boy to feel genuine love towards her. It was unlikely that he himself was aware of this, though, and she preferred to avoid social land mines.

Finally, the dreaded moment of silence passed when Takanashi raised his head and surprised Homura by offering a bright smile. "Well, it can't be helped, then," He said with a nonchalant shrug. "I suppose there must be someone else, eh?"

He said it jokingly, but Homura could only blink and turn to look up at the clouds, as if there was someone there to stare back down. "I...suppose you could say that," She murmured.

The boy tried to follow her gaze but failed. "He must be an amazing guy," He said back softly.

Homura thought she saw wings in the cloud patterns above. "Yes...on a completely different level than either of us."

A bit thrown off by this final comment, Takanashi produced another smile and bowed his head slightly before saying, "Thank you for your time," before disappearing down the steps.

She watched his retreating form until it was gone. A refusal on her part may have been inevitable, but the boy had taken it well, considering how cold she must have sounded. She respected him for that.

Walking to the edge of the concrete, Homura gripped the wire mesh of the fence and observed the sprawling campus below her. Her school hadn't completely escaped the industrial developments of the past decade, but the director had insisted on keeping an organic environment for his students. As such, there were no towering mechanical buildings or drones patrolling the halls within the boundaries of the campus. Instead there were vast gardens and classrooms with wide windows to let the sunlight in.

Homura spotted Mami sitting on a bench surrounded by a small grove of roses, chatting amiably with her friends. The black haired girl felt another twinge of annoyance at the sight. How could her upperclassman spend idle time concerning herself with ordinary people? Homura didn't despise normal individuals herself, but she would much rather plan that night's hunt in her head than discuss the latest fashion trend with another girl who was painfully oblivious to the true cruelty of the world.

She had always known it, but now the evidence sat squarely before her; Mami was dangerously self indulgent. Someone who desperately clung to the last shreds of her humanity rather than simply noting its departure. It wasn't that Homura entirely blamed Tomoe for wanting to blend in. But that didn't mean either of them should pursue it. If not to herself, the truth behind the blonde's smiling face would only bring detriment to innocents.

_A person who never stops to question her own beliefs. _Admittedly, she was nitpicking at Mami's specific faults. She knew that the blonde's strong sense of justice wasn't necessarily a bad thing; not anymore at least. She just saw too keenly that the older girl's morals were tied too closely to her naiveté. Mami put up a strong front, but countless hours of observation had gleaned the information that she was easily affected by her surroundings. Homura remembered all too well the time when Mami had lost her resolve and killed Kyouko, Madoka's own arrow the only thing keeping herself from perishing as well. And as the bolt had shattered the blonde's Soul Gem, Homura had seen the broken look in her eyes.

Fragile as spun glass.

As the lunch bell rang then to signal the end of the break period, she realized the difference between herself and her senpai.

She had flatly rejected the confession.

Mami would have considered it.

It was this which made Homura fear for her.

* * *

The gravel crunched uneasily beneath her shoes, as if the very earth were begging her to turn back.

Looking up, she squinted and raised a hand to shield her eyes from the piercing sun above. The buildings on her left and right were tall and narrow, allowing only the strongest rays of illumination to force their way through. She was currently walking through the southern most region of Mitakihara, an area which had become subject to an unfortunate series of failed construction projects. Abandoned, half erected skyscrapers and twisting back alleys riddled the district, winding their way around thinly packed apartments. It reminded Homura of her own neighborhood, just less...quaint.

Unsettling.

A perfect breeding ground for demons.

Otherwise known as Sakura Kyouko's territory.

She obviously wouldn't have chosen this method in the beginning, preferring to make amends with Mami and then have the blonde convince a certain redhead for her. She had failed to reach the upperclassman during school, however, and waiting wasn't an option with the beginning of winter just around the corner. Meaning she would have to pursue the more..._unsavory_ route.

Homura knew very well that she was being watched from the rooftops above, but either didn't care or chose not to react as the girl continued making her way into the depths of the construction sites. She wanted to get as far away from the apartments as possible before initiating any sort of confrontation; involving citizens would be a major inconvenience.

All the while, she felt the weight of the eyes boring into her back as the black haired girl still refused to turn around and cast about for her pursuer. Kyouko knew just as well that if they were going to face each other, privacy was paramount.

Homura finally found a location to her satisfaction when she turned a corner and found one of the abandoned projects. The workers, by now long gone, had managed to set up the metal beams which would have acted as the supports for what seemed to be an office building. Whether her guess was on the mark or not, the structure was several stories tall, the sturdy plexisteel beams standing resolute.

She kept walking until she had completely entered the construction site before at last stopping and turning to face her stalker.

The other party also knew that it was time to emerge from the shadows. A dark red blur appeared at the top of one of the nearby rooftops, before instantly vanishing only to reappear right in front of Homura in the form of Sakura Kyouko. Homura duly noted the highly irritated look on the older girl's face and blandly hoped this wouldn't end badly.

"You've got some guts, showing your face here," The redhead snarled as she twirled her spear menacingly in one hand. The pastor's daughter was already dressed in her magical girl garb, her calf length overcoat fluttering ominously from the wind generated by the rotating weapon. Homura briefly considered transforming into her own Puella Magi form but decided against this, thinking it would suggest hostility.

Doing her best to relax her stance, the black haired girl replied tonelessly, "Thank you. I came to talk, if you would indulge me."

Kyouko hissed at her instead, readjusting her grip on her weapon. "Look, I don't give two shits about what you might have come here to talk about. This is my turf. Get out of it. Now."

Homura closed her eyes and gritted her teeth upon seeing that time had not healed the wounds of their last encounter. Still, she refused to turn back now. She had already failed on Mami's end. Opening her eyes, the girl replied, "I didn't realize territory was so important anymore. After all, there are only three notable Puella Magi in this city. Not to mention that you and Mami are working together...or has that changed?"

Kyouko started at the last bit of her sentence and blinked rapidly before sharpening her gaze again. Baring her unnaturally sharp teeth, the older girl growled, "That isn't any of your business anymore, unless you for whatever reason believe _that_ has changed. The three of us will never work together again. Isn't that what you said?"

The redhead wasn't lying, and Homura hated her for it. Meeting those crimson irises with her own fathomless ones, she said, "I didn't realize you placed so much faith in my words."

Kyouko had had enough at this point. With a flick of her wrist, the girl unchained her spear and whipped it upwards until the razor sharp tip was hovering, resting against the soft exposed flesh of Homura's throat. Taking a few steps forward, but making sure to keep a minimum distance between them to avoid any possible explosives, she spat out,

"If you think I'll forgive you for what you did to me, you're grossly mistaken. This isn't something you can solve with a simple halfhearted apology. And seeing as you apparently aren't here to fight, I'm assuming your objective is to at least ask something of me. Well, whatever that thing is, you aren't getting it. So go home before I take your head!"

At this, Homura's last fleeting hopes of settling the matter diplomatically spluttered and died out. The old feelings of frustration began to rise within her again. She may be trying to undo it now, but there had been a reason why she had left the redhead's company to begin with. Sakura Kyouko was self blinded, arrogant, and selfish for all the wrong reasons. Suddenly, her fingers itched to reach for her Soul Gem and prepare herself for a _proper_ conflict, the idea of _forcing_ the older girl to listen her to suddenly becoming rather appealing.

Then she caught the sorrow hiding behind the rage in Kyouko's eyes, and realized she was totally unjustified in her thoughts. The redhead was right: this wasn't something she could resolve with an offhanded attitude. Homura might not have been aware of it after waking up to find herself in a new world, but in this universe, Kyouko had trusted her. Despite the countless clashes they had had with each other, regardless of whether the redhead remembered them or not, she had trusted her.

And Homura had blatantly betrayed that faith.

Still, she couldn't turn back. To do so would be a betrayal to Madoka as well. It might have been ironic on her part, but Homura didn't trust Kyouko to keep herself safe.

"I wouldn't try to come off as so intimidating, if I were in your position," She murmured back. "You obviously remember how our last encounter ended."

Eyes going wide at the veiled offense, Kyouko shouted, "Shut up!", drawing back her spear and swinging it full force with every intention of taking her opponent's neck off. Homura, having successfully broken free, leapt backwards and landed soundlessly on her toes while the redhead unchained her spear again and lashed it at her side, giving it the appearance of a whip with a massive barb at its tip.

"Are you here to talk to me or fuck with me?" Kyouko snarled.

"I'm open to suggestions," Homura replied blandly, reaching behind her to palm a violet Soul Gem, a clear warning that violence was imminent. It had been decided that she had no choice; if Kyouko wouldn't listen when she asked politely, she would force her to.

The redhead narrowed her eyes and settled into a more stable fighting stance, but Homura saw the nervousness playing across her fingers. They may be in the older Puella Magi's turf, thus giving her some sort of advantage, but they were both aware that in a straight even fight Homura was likely to emerge victorious. Still, it was obvious neither one of the girls were willing to back down now. Homura for Madoka. Kyouko for her pride.

It was time to test which one was stronger.

Setting her jaw and willing the power within her Soul Gem to escape, the black haired girl let a dazzling light engulf her form, the display dissipating to reveal her dressed in magical girl garb. An aura of crackling energy infused the air as her pitch black bow materialized and fell to rest comfortably in a practiced hand, while the other reached up to draw and nock a humming arrow into the string.

Setting her shield, Homura waited.

Digging her heels into the crumbly dirt to gain better leverage, Kyouko launched herself high into the air, putting all of her leg strength into leaping far enough to close the gap between them. Descending upon her target like an enraged hawk, she chained her spear and swung for Homura's head. The younger girl ripped her shield upwards and parried to blow solidly, a loud _clang_ resounding through the air as the two weapons collided with considerable force.

Kyouko didn't give her opponent any time to recover. Absorbing the shock, she landed squarely in front of the shorter Puella Magi and began raining down a hail of jabs and swipes. Homura was forced to keep her shield up to withstand the onslaught, the shield's relatively small diameter just barely wide enough to keep a stray attack from breaking through her defense. It was then that she realized Kyouko's strategy: to keep her from utilizing any bombs or time-stops, she was not allowing any lapses in the battle. By pinning her opponent down like this, Kyouko could ensure no surprises.

_She's using her brain, for once,_ Homura thought in annoyance as she was forced to take a step back, or risk losing precious leverage. Thanks to the superhuman abilities granted to her from her wish to turn back time, she could see her adversary's movements as if they were just slightly slower than they should have been, allowing her an extra split moment to react. But she couldn't keep this up forever. Kyouko was slowly driving her backwards, step by step until a look up would have told her they were standing under the construction by now, thick metal beams surrounding them and allowing less room to maneuver.

She was out of patience. Allowing her knee to buckle, Homura darted back in what looked like a flinch, although in actuality she had more than adequate control of her balance. Kyouko, fooled into believing she had the upper hand, reared back and lunged with her spear.

_I've got you now._

Using the redhead's momentum against her, Homura planted her heels into the ground and hunkered down, dodging the strike and feeling the rush of air as the spear tip whistled back her ear. Kyouko barely had enough time to choke in surprise before her opponent launched her full weight forward, driving the sharp rim of her shield into the older's Puella Magi's gut. The blow took her from below and upended her entire body, sending all her dead weight tumbling into the dirt as Homura rolled away to gain some breathing room, resummoning her bow.

Drawing a buzzing bolt and nocking it, Homura took aim. Her goal was not to kill her opponent, as that would waste all of her previous efforts, but she certainly didn't mind incapacitation. Marking the hollow of Kyouko's throat where the ruby hued Soul Gem was fixated, she let the arrow fly.

The redhead's reflexes proved to be too quick, however. Swiping up her dropped weapon and lashing out wildly, the girl conjured a wall of simmering red energy, Homura's projectile shattering harmlessly against the defense. Seizing the lapse in action resulting afterwards, the pastor's daughter tightened the chain-like walls around her until they encircled completely. This way, even during a time freeze, she was impossible to reach. Homura was mildly impressed to note this development; it seemed during her absence, Kyouko had honed her abilities. The redhead hadn't been capable of manipulating the wall before.

"Don't underestimate me," The older girl smirked as she used her spear shaft to regain her footing. "Our first meeting was the first and last time I'll ever run from a fight with you."

"I considered you wise for turning back that day," Homura replied calmly as she drew another arrow. "Is it really worth rescinding that?"

Kyouko spun her spear and unchained it, drawing the writhing coils about her body. "I never really needed your approval anyways."

That said, she charged, steel-backed boots cutting into the loose sand beneath their feet. Homura was against surprised to see that the shield encasing her opponent's entire body was moving along with her; this further complicated things. Loosing the arrow at its target despite knowing it was a useless endeavor, the black haired girl heard the bolt shatter before reaching into the void and pulling out a flashbang. Duly noting she had mere heartbeats before she was steamrolled by the charging redhead, Homura leapt back and pulled the the pin on the grenade, letting it drop between them and raising her shield arm to her eyes to shied them from the imminent blast.

A great storm of smoke and debris was thrown up by the sonic impact of the grenade, sending small chunks of loosely packed dirt pattering down on the beams above them. Though she visuals were obscured, Homura assumed Kyouko was laying stunned somewhere within the dust cloud and reached for her wrist, intent on activating a time freeze.

Her plans were abruptly skewed, however, when the veil of smoke was ripped apart by a rather angry redhead running straight for her, presumably unaffected by the flashbang. Homura, unprepared for such a development, barely reacted in time to parry a bone shuddering blow from the spear. The crimson fence still rotated around Kyouko's form, unbroken by its recent weathering. Obviously, it granted its user immunity from visual disturbances. Homura would later base this on the nature of Kyouko's wish, seeing as it had involved illusions, but she was currently fully occupied with trying to block an incoming hailstorm of attacks while simultaneously fighting to maintain balance. Placed under such adverse conditions, even she was bound to make a mistake.

It came inevitably. In a desperate attempt to regain some leverage, the shorter Puella Magi lunged with her shield arm leading, hoping to knock the spear tip back long enough to regain some footing. Her hopes were promptly dashed, however, when instead the shaft unchained and the spearhead snaked under her guard, tearing into the soft flesh of her forearm and severing the magical bonds which kept the shield secured there. As a result of taking such a blow, she was thrown off her feet and sent tumbling until her body collided with a steel support beam.

Gritting her teeth as the back shrieked in protest, Homura knew she would have broken her spine without her preterhuman endurance. Looking down at her forearm, she saw the crimson blood flowing freely from the long gash which had been opened up there. Knowing it was imperative that she bind the wound as soon as possible, Homura ignored the injury and readied her bow yet again, staring down Kyouko who had chosen not to rush in and finish her off.

Though it may have seemed to any onlooker that the two of them were altercating for the sole purpose of killing each other, they both knew this not to be true. Homura wouldn't kill Kyouko because she believed she was trying to _save _Kyouko, and the pastor's daughter was transparent enough for her to know that she didn't have it within herself to kill another magical girl.

Not in this timeline, anyway.

No, this was a battle for submission. The winner would earn some degree of dominance over the loser; Homura wanted only to force her thickheaded adversary to just _listen_ to what the hell she needed to say. She had little idea what Kyouko would do outside of physically rebuking her, but she had no intention of letting that become a reality.

Kyouko raised her eyebrow at the sight of Homura standing back up without attending to her wound, despite her having given the black haired girl a chance to do so. Hefting her weapon, the girl sighed and said, "I'll just knock you out and dump your body somewhere close to your house. I don't know exactly where you live anymore, after all. That all right with you?"

Homura nocked her third arrow of the battle, lifting her chin disdainfully. "You'll have to _make_ me lose consciousness first." Diplomacy had now ceased to become even a concept between them. She knew it had been naive of her to allow things to get like this, but now that the line had been crossed she had no choice but to follow through. In all honesty, Homura rather wouldn't have wanted to fight Kyouko. But the redhead understood few forms of genuine communication outside of violence.

_So if I defeat you in a way you can understand, perhaps then you will listen._

Kyouko's eyes dimmed a bit at the response. "So be it."

As Homura's next bolt was batted aside by the spear, she remembered their last encounter.

* * *

**New fic! I do apologize for anything which may have felt OOC in this chapter, as it is my first foray into the Madoka fandom. If you enjoyed and would like to see more, I do encourage you to review! Aside from providing me with valuable feedback, it serves to motivate me to continue writing.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Shrrg**


	2. The Blood of Innocence

Chapter 2: The Blood of Innocence

Impulses were wonderfully satisfying to give into.

Someone had told her once that impulses came from obsessions. That they were instinctual reactions specifically engineered to protect the object of one's excessive attention. Like a criminal who thoughtlessly shoots his accomplice for fear of betrayal. Of course, Homura had almost immediately dismissed such an idea as needlessly repressive. She didn't need petty worries like that restricting her.

Though they did say denial was the greatest comfort for insanity.

"You're obsessed!" Kyouko's harsh tongue had grated, the emotions behind them whipping out to lash her ears, the brain behind them shirking away from what may or may not have been the truth. Homura had flinched when the redhead leapt to her feet and grabbed her by the elbow, in a foolish attempt to stop her from leaving.

It hadn't been a particularly aggressive maneuver, but Homura's heart had immediately begun to hammer in her chest, and the all too familiar fear of failure erupted somewhere in her gut. She had been trying to leave her companions, finally realizing no amount of explaining or arguing was going to get through to them, when Kyouko had reached out to grab her.

Such a development enraged her for reasons she would never comprehend.

"Let go of me," She had whispered, feeling the restraint wrestling in the air passing through her lips, but unsure of exactly what she was trying to hold back. Was it anger? Was it defeat?

"Like hell I will!" Kyouko had snapped back at her. "I can't just let you leave us like that without giving a justifiable answer. You just keep raving on about this girl-"

"If you won't believe the truth, then there is nothing I have left to say to you," Homura cut back frigidly.

Kyouko breathed heavily through her nostrils. "Look, I'm not trying to say you're crazy or anything. Just...even if it's true, what does it matter?"

"It matters to everything!" Homura had snarled back at her companion, an act which caused the redhead to flinch in surprise and loosen her grip on the girl's sleeve. Finally breaking free, the black haired girl spun and tried to stalk away again. Kyouko would have none of it, however, and lunged forward to seize her by the collar.

"Look, you little-"

That was enough to push her beyond restraint. Looking back on it, Homura couldn't exactly discern as to why she did what she did next. Regardless of what the true motives may have been, nothing could stop the magical girl from shoving Kyouko away her from her before drawing an arrow and sending it into the redhead's Soul Gem.

Whether it was an object of fortune for them both to have been in the magical girl forms at that moment, she couldn't say. Fortunate for her, and endlessly inconvenient for her former companion, she supposed. There was an ear biting crack as the purple bolt shattered the ruby fixed to the hollow of its owner's throat, sending scarlet fragments pinwheeling through the air. As everything around them slowed, Homura saw the light leaving Kyouko's eyes and with them, any semblance of trust.

Mami, who had been observing the argument passively, choked and stumbled to her feet in shock as the redhead's body tumbled to the floor in a heap of dead weight. It made a morbid sounding _thump_ upon impact, making the functional corpse sound hollow as it really was. Even Kyubey's ears twitched.

Homura was the only one not to exhibit an extreme reaction, lowering her bow and staring coldly down at her victim. Even the smidgen of remorse she had left did not feel guilt. After all, she hadn't exactly killed the girl. Destroying the Soul Gem would only prevent Kyouko from utilizing her magical abilities until a replacement was obtained, as well as effectively knocking her unconscious for several hours. The black haired girl sheathed her bow and watched the redhead's attire dissipate and be replaced by her usual clothing.

Mami finally managed to use her tongue to form words. "What in the world did you just do!" The blonde exploded, drawing a pistol to underscore her anger as she stalked across the courtyard her direction, only to falter when another arrow was point in her direction.

"What I had to," Homura replied levelly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kyubey observing their interaction silently. "It may have been a bit extreme, but she wouldn't have let me leave otherwise. Don't worry, she'll live...probably."

She saw the agony in Mami's face and didn't entirely dislike it. Keeping the arrow trained on the musket wielder, Homura began to walk backwards, away from the lights illuminating the square. She barked at Kyubey to follow her, and the alien, finding no reason to deny this, leapt off the fence and ran to her side. Stealing one last look back, Homura turned and fled.

Ignoring the regret already sprouting within.

* * *

These memories tore through Homura's mind as her wings thundered around her, carrying her slight body up through the beams of the construction site, wheeling upwards toward the sky criss crossed by the rods still above her. Kyouko was in pursuit, leaping to keep up with her adversary, but the redhead didn't seem entirely bent on catching up. Just another reminder that she wasn't fighting to kill.

Well, Homura didn't exactly want to kill Kyouko either, for various reasons. Finally clearing the highest level of construction beams, she furled her wings and brought herself to a hovering halt about ten meters higher, waiting for her opponent to arrive.

Kyouko bounded upwards and landed to balance on a narrow steel surface, the crimson force field still orbiting around her person. Homura narrowed her eyes as she examined the situation. Unfortunately enough, developments had left her shield still on the ground several stories below, having been severed by an errant jab from the spear. She hadn't actually been aware that a force could separate the shield from her, a mistake she was glad hadn't proved to be fatal. Meaning she had only her wings and bow at disposal, although any offense on her part could be deflected at the moment.

There was only one thing working to her advantage, and that was the fact that this battle was not _meant_ to be fatal. She was well aware that the redhead was more venting her frustrations at most, anger caused from being unable to understand Homura's departure. So, she didn't have to overpower her opponent.

Just outlast her.

Homura had just sent another arrow flying when it was knocked aside, but not by the crimson spear. A hefty bullet struck the buzzing bolt and utterly destroyed it, the projectile still passing through and striking a steel beam, leaving a sizable dent and sending smoke everywhere. Unaware of the nature of this new threat, Homura twisted her body and fell away from the impact zone, trying to force some distance between herself and a possible new threat.

Looking up, she identified the source. Mami Tomoe was standing atop a spire protruding from an adjacent building with Kyubey perched on her shoulder, nothing more than pure anger shining in her golden eyes. Homura felt a brief surprise at the fact that the blonde had actually been willing to damage city property in order to intervene, seeing as the upperclassman usually preferred to avoid collateral damage, but then realized that this revealed the extent of her irritation.

Bringing herself to another full stop as the smoke cleared into the air around them, Homura called out, "I'm surprised you took the time to come and find us."

Kyouko, at last noticing the newcomer, gasped and said, "M-Mami? But why-"

"I'm sick and tired of all of this!" The blonde shouted suddenly. Leaping from the spire and landing on a steel beam of her own, she crossed her arms and glared daggers at the two of them. "Just how did it ever get like this? We used to work together...and now...you're fighting as if you've been enemies from the start."

Homura felt the battle-craze dissipating from the atmosphere and noted that if Mami's sole intention had been to stop the fight, she had succeeded. Kyouko had even expelled her shield at this point, and the black haired girl felt that any aggressive action on her part would result in her having to take on two Puella Magi instead of one. Gritting her teeth upon seeing clearly that her plans had been thoroughly skewed, the magical girl sheathed her bow and allowed her wings to drop her down onto the steel beams.

"I..." Kyouko's eyes shrouded with regret. "I didn't start it! She's the one who came here and started talking nonsense."

"You didn't seem particularly eager to continue negotiating, if I do remember correctly," Homura replied. By now, the sun had completely set and the moon was clawing its way across the sky.

"Enough, both of you," Mami cut in, exerting her pressure as the older veteran to the fullest extent. Though Homura herself was certainly more experienced than her, almost exponentially so, but she wasn't one to count her accolades. "I don't care who started it. Why were the two of you fighting in the first place? All three of us, we have the same goals, the same problems...how could you let conflict arise like this?"

Homura knew the blonde was trying to guilt them by placing the weight of responsibility on their shoulders and had to suppress a scoff. Tomoe had nothing to say when it came to responsibility. Her gut was urging her to snap back and tell the older Puella Magi to leave, and say this was none of her business, but this would effectively undermine her plans if it was successful. In actuality, she realized, this was rather convenient. She hadn't expected to have all three of them in the same place so soon.

"We may have similar aims, but the methods we use to achieve them tend to clash rather often," Homura said levelly. Then she stared at Kyouko. "Though I was willing to set that aside for the sake of civility."

The redhead couldn't say anything to that, knowing that essentially it had been her actions which set off the brief skirmish. Still, the girl wasn't one to admit her faults so openly. Raising her chin, the spear wielder posed, "Then...why did you agree to fight me?"

The black haired girl smiled back in a way that seemed both accommodating and menacing. "You probably would have just killed me otherwise. Besides, beating you would probably be a faster way to make you listen. I never intended to severely injure you."

She noticed Mami's expression change at those final words and felt a small spark of contentment blossom in her breast. She had the situation under control now. She may disapprove of it severely, but Homura was not below manipulating the blonde's infatuation with cooperation between magical girls to her own ends. If she made it seem that they had fought not as enemies, but as functional allies simply settling a dispute, her upperclassman was sure to support her in their mutual endeavor to smooth things out. Homura wouldn't be entirely lying, either. She _did_ want the three of them to work together again.

Just not for the same reasons.

"Well...I suppose that may be true," Kyouko was forced to admit. They both knew that there had been some points in the battle where Homura could have severely handicapped her opponent. When she bowled her over with the shield, for example. A blade could have been plunged into the intestines.

"In that case, Akemi-san," Mami voiced, "Did you enter Kyouko's territories in order to...negotiate?"

She tried to make it sound loaded with suspicion, but Homura smelled the hope fizzling beneath. "Of course," She responded, looking up to meet those molten golden irises with her own black pits. "I did leave on rather uncertain terms last time, and I haven't had a chance yet to reconcile with Sakura-san for my offenses..."

She could feel the changes her words were creating within Mami's heart, but knew there was one final push needed to convince her.

"...and I didn't want our companionship to end."

_Done,_ Homura thought with a slight smile as she watched Mami's eyes light up. She knew she should be feeling some modicum of guilt for manipulating the girl's emotions in such a manner, but such moral obligations were easily tossed aside if it meant she got what she needed.

"I...I see," Tomoe said, nodding in acceptance. She walked across the steel beams, heels clicking against the metal until she stood between the two other girls, looking at both of them with a satisfied expression on her face. "In that case...would the two of you please reconcile?"

Homura looked past the blonde to lock eyes with Kyouko. Pitch to blood. The older girl blinked back at her, the indecision churning all over her countenance. Homura had been counting, admittedly, on Mami's persuasive skills as well as the redhead's natural friendship with her to be more than enough to seal the agreement. However, the pastor's daughter seemed to be searching her face, searching for evidence of the deception which may or may not have laid beneath the stony exterior.

"I do apologize," Homura said with a pinch of emotion. "I can't exactly justify what I did without confusing you, but you do have my regret."

Kyouko stared back at her for another moment, before nodding and sheathing her spear. "I don't usually give people second chances, but..." She looked down for a moment before coming up with a tentative smile. "Maybe I should gamble once in a while."

Mami smiled warmly at this development and clapped her hands together, as if she were pushing the two girls' hearts together in an attempt at forced fusion. Then the wind whistled through her fingers, like an ethereal force trying to pry that melding force apart, trying to scoop up the components of the conglomerate and whisk them away to prevent some sort of undesirable result. Homura saw this and wondered if fate existed, and if it did, what its opinion was on this situation.

"Well then," The blonde said happily, "I do know it's starting to get dark, but how about you both join me for some cake and tea? We have some catching up to do."

As Homura spread her wings to take the route to a house other than her own for the first time on months, she could only hope that Kyouko was a good gambler.

_And in the end we were meant to be apart_

_In separate chambers of the human heart..._

* * *

Mami couldn't help but giggle to herself at the scene she witnessed out of the corner of her eye, bringing her tea cup up to her lips to hide the fact that she was watching.

She was standing on the veranda of her apartment building, the breathing city glittering in its exhalations beneath her, the constant light shifting and fluctuating as if every streetlight had a respiratory system. Most others like her would have looked down at the view and seen only the problems left to tackle, but she was one of the blessed few who could only see the obstacles already conquered. Some people were prone to faulting others for that, however.

She had insisted on bringing all of them to her abode, especially because she knew it would make Akemi uncomfortable, but it had to be understood this was not done out of malice but benevolence. Mami didn't believe that the black haired girl was nearly as apprehensive of associating with others as she made out to be. After all, humans were born to intermix with one another. There were those who may have pointed out that perhaps the girl simply was not human anymore, but Mami held a firm belief in her humanity. That was the one thing being a Puella Magi sapped away above all, that was, the sensation of being a distinct individual. Many had despaired at the revelation that they were little more than demon-hunting machines, but Mami had faith in her own willpower, as well as Akemi's.

They may not have many things in common, but they would both fight to the ends of despair for their dreams.

She continued watching the conversation taking place behind the glass doors discreetly. An excuse about her needing some air had been enough to leave the room, but really this had just been a guise. Mami's genuine desire was not for Akemi to view them as peers under the same umbrella of suffering, but as confidants, partners.

Maybe even friends.

While that last wish may have been a bit too much to ask for, one could hope. Upon first setting out to hunt the demons she had been contracted the defeat, the blonde had been horrified to learn of the thorough fragmentation between magical girls. There was distrust, hatred, and selfishness in a crisis where cooperation should have been the first option. Some nights seemed to be more centered around fights between Puella Magi than the killing of the demons.

Mami had watched, eventually, as every last one of them succumbed to the despair brought on in equal quantity to the hope their wishes had wrought. Taken away by the Law of Cycles, vanishing with no one left behind the mourn their passing. It was this which had convinced her that connections between people was the answer to their predicament. Humanity was greater that the sum of its parts, a collective term rather than an individualistic one.

Mami couldn't entirely deny that it was this belief which drove her to possible reform Akemi's view on life, as well as Kyouko's. After watching them both cut themselves off from others to tackle their monstrous obstacles alone...her instincts had prompted her to reach out to them.

Finishing her tea, the blonde brushed her ringlets absently with two fingertips before turning to face the door. It was about time she returned to her friends...

The thought tickled her fancy, and Mami couldn't help a smile from slashing across her face.

_Now I'm not alone anymore..._

* * *

Homura liked to pride herself on her exceptional composure, but her usual poise seemed to fail her in the current situation.

She was sitting at a table in the center of Mami's apartment, the very realization striking a bolt of unease through her gut, like she was immerse within some sort of unnatural environment better suited for another species. Kyubey had disappeared to somewhere after observing their agreement, saying something about having to organize his own business, leaving the three girls to tend to their own loose ends.

The tables and drawers lining the peach colored walls were lined with ornaments, stuffed animals and the like, all frivolous pieces she would never have deemed necessary to keep in a home base. But even she knew this was a bit too much to expect of the enigmatic owner of the room, considering the person in question made a habit of treating tea like water. Said tea was sitting before her on the transparent glass table, growing colder by the moment but still warm enough to wrap one's fingers around to let the heat seep through the ceramic.

"You kind of naturally look up to her, don't you?" Kyouko's voice tickled her left ear, and Homura turned to observe the laid back girl. It still felt surreal to her that they had been crossing blades only a mere hour earlier, the merciless anger in their eyes sparring all the while. Only more evidence that their clash had been more a venting of frustrations between them, but the severe fluctuations in the redhead's attitude worried her a bit.

Homura followed her gaze and saw Mami leaning against the railing outside on the veranda, observing the cityscape gleaming below her. To be totally frank, she totally disagreed with Kyouko's statement. In fact, she spent of her time feeling like the oldest of the three of them and wishing they would learn from _her_ once in a while.

"Others seem easily attracted to her," Homura replied diplomatically. "Time will tell whether that works to her advantage, though."

Kyouko's smile weathered a bit. "Yeah. Sometimes she gives into her impulses too often. Speaking of which..." She glanced down at her steaming tea and murmured, "I'm sorry I lost my temper. I should have let you speak your mind first."

A bit surprised to receive such a genuine apology from the traditionally callous girl, Homura nodded gracefully in acceptance. "That's alright. I'm not completely free of fault either; I didn't exactly respond calmly. We can just call it a mutual mistake."

The redhead looked up and smiled gratefully. "Sounds good."

She couldn't help feeling a bit turned over at the ease of the transition from hostility to friendship, if it could be called that. Could people really find forgiveness between each other so easily? Sometimes, it felt to Homura like the world was spinning around her in a great turbulence of matches, rematches, and inconsistencies all while she clung to her own constants. She had always considered the fickleness of those around her to be rather foolish, seeing them as irrational gambles, but seeing the same traits reflected in Kyouko made her wonder. The redhead had survived just as long and as well as she herself had.

Was her own method really the only correct path?

"I do worry about her sometimes, though," The redhead continued suddenly, stemming the stream of Homura's thoughts. "She's strong in her morals, and that's a good thing of course, but sometimes it makes her thinking all cloudy, and she makes dangerous decisions. Know what I mean?"

Homura's pinky shifted around her set of china, and she watched the ripples ride across the surface of the tea. It occurred to her then that the Kyouko in this universe had always been friends with Mami, although that relationship had been strained at times. "I don't know her as well as you do, but I see what you mean."

The air in the apartment felt slightly less stifling. "She gets really angry if things don't go the way she thinks is right, you know," Kyouko said with a small chuckle. She continued observing the aforementioned blonde through the window. "She can be impossibly stubborn sometimes."

Homura knew this all too well. Mami Tomoe was not someone to question her own beliefs, let alone allow them to be challenged by external forces. So much so that in another timeline, she had chosen to kill her companions rather than place her faith in them. Briefly, she remembered the irritation flickering in those golden irises while they were atop the construction site. She had been genuinely angry.

But they all were, in one way or another, all upset with how the world had treated them. Though this fact did tie the three of them together explicitly, the comparisons stopped at a certain point. Homura understood that her own anger was cold, allowing her to use it, but Mami's anger was hot and it used her.

"Do you believe this could backfire in any way?" Homura asked, posing the question for certain specific reasons. She wished to test the girl's true level of wisdom.

Kyouko smiled sadly at the inquiry. "Of course. You could want only the best for someone, but only end up hurting them. Sayaka learned that. _I _learned that. All the good in the world will only be met with an equal amount of despair. There's no way to overflow the scale."

_As long as she knows,_ Homura thought, sipping absently at the tea, which she had to admit was actually rather well prepared. She didn't particularly enjoy asking depressingly questions during discourse, but felt that the need for small talk and social niceties were long lost between any two Puella Magi. No one else saw the world as starkly as it really was.

"Well, I guess it'll be up to us to make sure that doesn't happen, right?" Kyouko said, surprising the other girl with an encouraging smile. Leaning back on one hand, the redhead held out her hand and locked eyes with the black haired girl staring back at her.

"I know we have our differences," She said slowly, "But I don't believe in perfect matches. So...friends?"

_Friends._ The world felt foreign and blocky on Homura's tongue, exotic or frivolous even. She usually would have brushed off such things as unnecessary, but this was no simple connection with an ordinary human. This was another magical girl, someone who comprehended her troubles and tribulations, someone who would not sympathize with her but stand beside her and weather the storm as an equal.

She had to blink to bring herself back. What was she thinking? She was only here to honor Madoka's sacrifice...only for that.

Nothing else.

Not bothering to force a smile, knowing Kyouko would see right through it, Homura reached out and reciprocated the handshake. The older girl grinned back as the pact was sealed.

Outside, Mami turned to reenter the room.

Inside, Homura's heart felt oddly warm.

* * *

"_The middle districts, huh?"_

Kyouko's voice rattled into Homura's ears through the phone line. They had recently all shared their digits with each other, although she herself only own a landline. It was too cumbersome to carry a cell on her person everywhere she went. She had called Kyouko with insight on some demon sightings in the past week, having noticed that a large number were beginning to gather around a cemetery. This in itself was not entirely unusual, seeing as burial sites for the dead were ripe with misery and sadness, making for an excellent breeding ground for demons.

Still, they didn't want the numbers to grow. Under most circumstances, Homura would have let the demons multiply before sweeping them in one attack, thus harvesting the maximum amount of energy. A maxim both Kyubey and Kyouko could side with. A problem did present itself, however. There was another concentration point expanding only a mile from the cemetery, and if the two hotspots grew enough to meld together, it may result in a problem too large for the three of them to handle alone.

"Yes," Homura affirmed. "Near your territory, where there is a slight increase in the number of impoverished inhabitants. I think we should sweep the area before the situation exceeds containment level."

_"You don't have to make it sound so dramatic, you know," _Kyouko sighed from the other end of the line. _"You could just say 'there's a lot of them, so let's go kill the lot of them,' or something."_

"Perhaps you aren't sophisticated enough."

_"Not a complicated job. Kill demons, don't get too depressed. An endless, simple cycle."_

Simplicities could pile up to form complexities. "In any case, I would appreciate it if you could contact Tomoe-san for me and ask when she is best positioned for hunting. It would be best to coordinate our efforts."

_"Our first hunt together in a while, eh?"_ The redhead thought aloud. _"Alright, will do. I'll call you back."_

"Thank you."

The line went dead.

* * *

The grass crunched softly beneath her feet like roiling clouds burned away by the rising sun as she scaled the side of the small knoll, another companion trailing her in the wake of her path. Mami had always been one to marvel at the grace of nature, and took a moment just before the peak to absorb the environment around her, as if through some warped process of osmosis its beauty would transfer within.

Feeling nothing more than the breeze running its fingers through her hair, however, she sighed and finished her ascent.

"The walk up here always gets me hungry for lunch," A light voice giggled behind her.

Kiku Hanezawa closed the distance between herself and her best friend and panted slightly upon its completion, but still wore that smile Mami could quite literally die for. Thick, luscious hair tumbled down the girl's back, the chocolate brown tresses reaching almost to the hem of the skirt which comprised part of their school uniform. Many of the school's students had complained about the institution's color scheme, citing the light butter yellow and simple brown themes to be bland and damaging to their overall appearance. Kiku seemed to totally disregard this sentiment; she looked stunning, drab uniform or not. Then again, Mami thought she looked good in anything.

The soothing smile closed itself back behind the walls of a porcelain face, much to another's disappointment. "Did you bring a bento today? I didn't see you standing in the cafeteria line..."

Mami smiled and took a seat on the giving grass. "Of course," She replied, holding up the decorative box she had brought up with her. "I woke up a little earlier for it, but it beats waiting for the food."

Kiku laughed at the remark and sat down beside her. The tree stretching its branches towards the invisible stars from its roots atop the hill provided them with ample shade, providing for a relaxed, comfortable place to eat. Mami loved eating here every day, partly because she could see a vast portion of the campus from here; people as they frown and laughed at each other, formed bonds and strengthened them. All carrying about their own business but undeniably part of a cohesive whole. Or at least, she liked to think so.

It also meant time alone with Kiku.

The winsome third year was undeniably popular among her peers, both older and younger, but was also one of the select few able to not let it all get to her head. Blessed with an airy sense of beauty and an amiable disposition, she was the object of adoration to many. Boys from neighboring schools were naturally attracted to her outward appearance, but there was something more than that, a sort of aura constantly clinging around her that made others feel at ease.

Kiku didn't achieve particularly remarkable grades and was only passably athletic, but it was flaws like these which had drawn Mami to pursue a friendship between them. To her, the brunette felt so organic, so..._human._ Not obsessive like Akemi, not filled with irritation like Kyouko, not so oblivious towards others like Kyubey. Completely devoid of the internal extremes which Mami had always felt ate away at their humanity, and thus resented passionately. Kiku embodied many of the things Mami wished she could be, although this fact was something the blonde often had trouble admitting.

Essentially, her own philosophy incarnate.

"It's getting alot colder these days, isn't it?" The brunette sitting cross legged beside her said suddenly, spooning and small portion of her lunch into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

"Yes," Mami replied, unwrapping her own meal. "Fall is ending, after all. Maybe we'll get some snow this year, even."

Kiku laughed again. "Yeah, right. It never snows here."

"Well, one can dream."

More laughter.

Two delicate fingers brushed those chocolate locks behind tender looking ears as Kiku turned her eyes towards her friend. "Say, did you hear? Miyazaki-chan had to turn down another guy again..."

Mami smiled amiably again and indulged herself in the aimless conversation. Feeling it wrap around her and bring soothing relaxation. Yes, she had heard. Why, how interesting that was. Forget about the demons clawing out the walls outside, the distrustful looks of other magical girls. Just forget...

"I heard the guy she turned down just won't give up," Kiku continued with an amused sigh. "Don't you just hate that? When people try so hard to cling onto things they obviously can't have..."

There was something in those words which should have bothered her, but Mami simply brushed it aside. "It can be cumbersome, yes. If the boy's insistence hurts Miyazaki-chan too, it would be especially bad."

Kiku hummed thoughtfully and ate more of her food. "There must be something driving him though, to be so determined. Maybe he thinks she's the only one he can ever pursue? Like, as if they're destined, or something," The girl giggled.

"I still wouldn't enjoy the process."

The brunette nodded seriously. "Well, duh. Makes me glad that we're such good friends, eh? This way be both get all the love in the world," She flashed a winning smile, bringing a chuckle to her friend's lips.

Mami was about to reply with a jibe of her own when her mental faculties were pervaded by an intruding voice.

[_Don't you think you should be preparing yourself, rather than playing around?] _A skeptical sounding voice reverberated within the blonde's skull.

Feeling the planned response tumble apart on her tongue, the magical girl felt a noticeable surge of annoyance flash through her, causing even Homura's presence within her consciousness to recoil somewhat at the unexpected bout of displeasure.

[_Perhaps, but things like these are important too,]_ Mami thought back. [_Make a few friends and you just might understand.]_

The blonde glanced across the courtyard below and found her; the black haired student was sitting calmly on a bench, far enough to be unnoticeable to others but close enough to make her presence known to the person she was conversing with. The shield user seemed to be frowning, apparently put off by the older girl's sudden caustic mood, considering she had been so accommodating the previous night. Realizing that she may be allowing her emotions to get out of hand, Mami put effort into relaxing herself again.

[_Well..._] Homura's thoughts halted. [_Kyouko and I agreed to become friends yesterday. I assume that counts?_]

[_Friends aren't made through contracts like magical girls are. Because they won't ask for anything in return.]_

The shield user didn't speak for a moment, apparently mulling this over. Mami took this time to look back at Kiku and saw her quietly eating her lunch, accepting the brief lapse in their conversation. [_In any case,_] Mami thought back, [_Is there something you need? Or are you feeling a bit too lonely?_]

Homura wondered briefly at the older Puella Magi's sudden shift in mental tone. [_I'm not one to make unnecessary conversation, as you know. Sakura-san and I spoke last night. There are a couple demon hotspots we need to intervene in before they grow too large. Make sure you're free tonight._]

[_Kyouko told me about that already._] Mami felt oddly upset; she was itching to return to her conversation with Kiku, who seemed a bit put off by her sudden silence but was saying nothing out of consideration.

[_I know. Just a reminder. I do have more things to tell you.]_

"Do you ever wonder?" Kiku said aloud suddenly, giving into her tendency to go off on random tangents occasionally. It was a trait Mami usually adored in the girl, but at the moment it only served to be cumbersome.

"Ah...about what?" The blonde mumbled. [_Go ahead._]

"About people who..." The other girl searched for her words. "You know, are stubborn in their beliefs, I guess," She derailed with a sheepish giggle.

[_There is a third demon hotspot accumulating with a hospital at its epicenter. Normally the logical course of action would be to contain it immediately, but there are no other hotspots within an acknowledgeable distance, so any merging is negligible._]

"Well, everyone has things they stick to," Mami responded. [_So? What are you suggesting?_]

"I know. But...sometimes you watch them and you think about how foolish it is. Like they can't see the things happening around them, only the one thing that they want. It's kind of scary, honestly."

[_We let the hotspot expand. Even if it grows larger, there will be only one area of containment. Then we hunt them in one fell swoop, cleaning the district for a good amount of time. It's a more efficient alternative to performing several smaller attacks on the same place.]_

"Is this because of that confession to Miyazaki-chan?" Mami replied absently, trying to grapple what exactly Akemi was trying to say. [_But wait. If we allow the hotspot to fester, won't the residents in the area be severely affected by the increased levels of despair? Not to mention there's a hospital full of injured patients in the thick of it...what about them?_]

[_Unfortunately, we'll have to subject them to some discomfort._]

"I guess," The brunette admitted. "But it's not just that. Only a random thought, really. You know I have a lot of those. Why do people want things they can't have?"

[_That's out of the question!_] Mami thought back forcefully. [_Based on experience, you can expect there to be a dozen suicides if you allow things to worsen simply for the sake of efficiency...that's just wrong._] "Maybe there's nothing else left for them," The blonde then said back to her friend, feeling like she was defending herself from two people at once.

[_But it is necessary. Demon activity grows stronger during the winter season. We need to prepare ourselves properly for the onslaught._]

[_You sound like an Incubator,_] Mami thought accusingly.

"I mean, I get the entire 'human greed' theory, but it doesn't seem very rooted in reason," Kiku chattered on. "Maybe they're just obsessed?"

A slight pause. [_Maybe I am,_], Homura thought back, making Mami wonder if she could hear their conversation.

"You never know, they just might be on to something," Mami murmured to her friend, turning her head to make eye contact with the black haired girl staring expectantly back across the square. [_I don't like this. We must think of the well being of those we protect, too._]

[_We don't fight for them. We fight for ourselves._]

"Maybe they're just selfish people," Kiku suggested.

Homura was frowning at them. [_Are you listening? If that girl's interrupting us, tell her to-_]

[_Leave Kiku alone!_] The sudden surge of emotions scrambled their mental link.

[_...Well, it is ultimately your choice._]

Mami saw the black haired girl rise from her seat and turn away.

[_I can't force you to do anything. Your choices are your own. Just make sure you won't regret them._]

Idiot, the blonde thought bitterly as she packed up her untouched bento. Akemi had been compliant enough to pursue their reunion, and she had been glad to facilitate it, but there were still times when the shield user sent her pulse skyrocketing.

_I've never regretted anything in my life._

The Soul Gem clicking in her pocket told her how utterly untrue this was, but she pushed it away.

_I'm swimming in the smoke_

_Of bridges I have burned..._

* * *

"Did anything happen?"

The redhead's inquiry prodded at Homura as she stared out across the landscape, awaiting their companion. Mami usually was not one to arrive late to appointments, often being the one to arrange the hunts themselves, but today proved to be an exception. Although, she could think of a few reasons why the girl was lagging.

"She didn't take too well to the idea of allowing the hotspot to fester," Homura admitted as she rubbed her finger along the length of her bow, wanting to occupy herself.

Kyouko sighed. "Well, it makes me a bit squeamish too, but it's ultimately the best choice, right?"

"Of course," The shield user agreed. "But Tomoe-san refuses to acknowledge that."

They were both standing atop a building overlooking the local city cemetery, the slanted tombstones beneath them bending as if to coax them down to join them. Some people feared cemeteries for their connections to death and sadness, but all Homura saw was a bunch of rocks marking the placement of a body which had probably degraded into carbon materials years ago.

They were waiting for Mami, who as said earlier was running rather late. Homura understood that the blonde may have felt upset at their talk earlier, but it still frustrated her to find that such a trivial quarrel was enough to affect the older magical girl. Tomoe was one of the least flexible people she associated with, and this only contributed to the image of fragility Homura attached to Mami.

"She'll come around," Kyouko said reassuringly. "Mami just wants to protect everyone, that's all. But if it's impossible, she'll understand."

"She isn't being very convincing, at the moment."

"I believe in her," Kyouko responded firmly, and Homura looked at her in surprise.

"If you say so."

Still, she could hardly place any measure of faith in Mami. Homura had only held fleeting suspicions based on past encounters, but their argument during the lunch break had essentially confirmed said suspicions for her. The anger that had roared between their mental link on multiple occasions...she had recognized it.

After all, Homura had felt the same way whenever Madoka was threatened.

Except Madoka was now a god, and had always been capable of fending for herself when necessary. Kiku Hanezawa, on the other hand, was fragile, unreliable, and naive...all traits which would get any magical girl killed. The brunette certainly wasn't an actual Puella Magi, but she was friends with one and that was usually enough to bring some degree of detriment about.

And if Mami was willing to fight for her as much as Homura had been willing to fight for Madoka, it wasn't entirely clear whether such an endeavor would be worth it.

_People are cowards, Tomoe-san,_ Homura thought as she absently drew and redrew her arrows. _Madoka would never betray me, but we can't say the same for your friend._

As if her thoughts had summoned the girl under scrutiny, Kyouko started and pointed. "Oh, look. She's here."

Mami was leaping across the rooftops toward them, already in fighting form. Performing one final jump to reach them, she landed heavily and rose, dusting off her attire.

"Sorry I'm late," She excused herself curtly.

Homura scanned her and saw the irritation still prowling inside. "That's fine. We cleared the demons in this immediate area so we could wait safely. It won't be the same once we move away from here, though."

"Ah," Kyouko stretched luxuriously, popping a few of her joints in the process. "It's been a couple of days since I've killed something...shall we go, then?"

"Of course."

The redhead took off towards the hotspot, and Homura was about to bound after her when Mami reached out and touched her elbow.

"About earlier..." The blonde looked at the ground. "I apologize. I don't agree with what you two are planning, but I still shouldn't have become angry."

Homura managed to offer a small, but genuine smile back. "That's alright. We shouldn't be fighting each other, anyways."

"Yes..."

The black haired girl nodded back. "Kyouko has already performed surveillance, so there shouldn't be innocents around. Now let's get started."

Another demon screamed under her onslaught and shattered into a million glittering fragments, its brethren rearing back for a moment before in once again. Mami twisted and summoned several rifles from the empty air around her, grabbing two and once and aiming them at the adversaries. Yanking the triggers indiscriminately, she send a barrage of explosive bullets into the horde and watched in satisfaction as more victims withered away.

Beside her, Kyouko dove off the spire of a tower and jetted down like a crimson raptor, surrounded by her shield. Using her momentum, the girl drove her spear into the concrete and sent a shockwave through the thick mass of demons, destroying several and beating the rest back again. Then a swarm of violet bolts raining down and sank their barbs into the survivors, clearing the entire pack, and Mami saw Homura nocking another bow from a nearby building.

The effectiveness of their teamwork suddenly surged through her, and she grinned.

She and Homura had decided to team up and act and herders, using their long ranged abilities to drive the demons into thick groups. Kyouko, whose fighting style was more oriented towards charging and tanking, would then dive into the congregations and obliterate them. Additional arrows and bullets would finish off the rest. The strategy had proven to be surprisingly effective, and they had already cleared a large portion of the city in just an hour. There was still work to be done, however, and Mami cocked two more rifles to have them ready.

As the last of the demons faded away, Homura leapt down into the square, Mami following suit. A multitude of black spheres were scattered across the concrete, the cancerous eyes of these Grief Seeds staring back at them. Mami ignored the stares and started picking the orbs off the ground.

Homura closed her eyes, focusing her powers. Suddenly, a seam split apart beside her, and a storage portal opened up to be filled. Mami walked over and tossed her load into the space.

"We're lucky we have a good way of lugging all these Seeds around," She said.

"Tell me about it," Kyouko grunted as she threw she own amount into the infinite room. "Otherwise we'd never be able to collect as much as we kill."

"That does remind me," Homura said, "Do you either of you know where Kyubey is? I haven't seen him since that night in the projects, and I had a backlog of Seeds to give him..."

The other girls shook their heads. "Nope. Haven't seen him," Kyouko said. "Maybe he's reporting to his bosses? He's essentially a messenger for someone else, right?"

"Perhaps," Homura murmured. She didn't voice or own opinion, but it was more than plausible that the alien was disappointed at their reunion and was thus avoiding them for the time being.

"That's not so important," Mami said breezily, storing the last of the Grief Seeds within the portal. Any remaining traces of her earlier angst seemed to have disappeared. "As long as we work together, everything with work out."

Kyouko smiled. "I suppose."

"Shall we continue?" Homura asked, tucking a midnight strand behind her ear.

As the two girls nodded their consent and leapt atop the buildings nearby, she watched the blonde's retreating form with a curious frown. The gun user looked vibrant, happy..._alive._

But for the wrong reasons, she felt.

Then Homura simply shrugged. It shouldn't prove to be too troublesome...after all, if Tomoe was that much more inspired to hunt demons it was only a good thing.

The three of them then continued their systematic cleansing of the district; their tactic from before never failed them, swath after swath of demons falling to their attacks as the moon continued to spectate from above. The smile plastered across Mami's face grew wider with every kill, until she was practically laughing as she sent bullets spiraling towards the enemy. Homura duly noted this and was reminded too well of another timeline, where the blonde had also been infatuated with the Power of Friendship during battle, a mistake which had ultimately resulted in her death.

Mami wouldn't have died in that timeline if she had simply heeded Homura's advice, and the shield user desperately hoped that would change this time around.

Despite this, she tried to allow the worries to recede to the back of her mind to be analyzed later. It wasn't healthy to dwell on past mistakes. This current horde seemed to be the last remaining one from the original hotspot. They simply had to get through this last push...

Homura sensed it happening before it actually did. A flicker at the edge of her vision foreshadowed it mere moments before; what seemed like an elderly man, bent over and stiff with age in the night's cold, trudging through the alleys below them. A bolt of panic flashed through her mind. Hadn't Kyouko confirmed zero witnesses? In any case, why wasn't the old man reacting to the battle taking place around him?

Closer observation told her the answer; he was possessed, a conclusion deducible from the way the old man staggered about like a drunkard, as well as the negative aura quite literally pulsing from him. A demon had entered his soul. Setting her lips into a grim line, Homura turned her attention back to the battle. If he was still alive once she was finished, they would attempt an exorcism.

Mami's priorities were, however, apparently quite different. The blonde had also noticed the bystander and abandoned her post as a herder, instead choosing to leap down towards the old man as Homura's arrows rained down around her.

_Fool!_ Homura thought, enraged.

The extent of Mami's folly was soon revealed. With the absence of the blonde's bullets hindering them, the massive pack of demons they had been chipping away at began to spread out over the area. This in itself wouldn't have been such a detrimental development, if Kyouko hadn't been in the middle of another suicide dive aimed at the center of the now broken mass of demons. Finding themselves with more room to maneuver, the creatures scattered into all directions. The redhead's blow struck a moment later, destroying a number of enemies but leaving dozens unaffected. What Homura saw when the smoke cleared made her gut wrench; Kyouko was standing in the deepest part of the crater she had just created, still slightly paralyzed due to the recharge time needed after such an all out blow. Meanwhile, the surviving demons poured in towards her.

"Shit," Homura swore, and dove into the chaos.

It appeared that Kyouko had managed to regain her motor functions a split second before the tide of enemies would have swamped her into oblivion, because Homura could see the occasional flashes of a crimson spear within the seething mass of demons. Sending a barrage of bolts at the enemies surrounding her companion to provide some breathing room, the shield user plunged into the middle of the struggle and struck the device on her weapon.

Time immediately froze around them, and Homura wasted none of it, pulling the pins on three grenades and chucking them in different directions. Glancing down swiftly to check her gauge, the girl was dismayed to find that she had eight seconds before her magic wore off. Too much had been expended on the previous hordes.

Dashing through the frozen enemies surrounding her, Homura dropped several more explosives until she had managed to run within arm's length of Kyouko. The timer on her shield snapped just then, and color rushed back in to fill the time. The roaring of the demons began to blast around her immediately, stinging her eardrums as she fought her way through the last remaining steps, at last pulling herself beside the redhead.

Kyouko seemed mildly surprised to note her sudden appearance. "Thanks," She gasped out, too preoccupied fending off the enemy. In a whirlwind of strikes, she spun several times and sent them recoiling for just a moment.

"Back to back!" Homura yelled over the cacophony, twisting and retreating until she felt the spear user's spine pressed against hers. Yanking three arrows out and nocking them all at once, she began to throw her entire arsenal into the monsters clamoring around them. Transparent claws and vicious fangs lashed out from all directions, their numbers seemingly endless. Homura suddenly understood how it felt to be herded rather than to be the herder.

Almost suffocating under the weight of her adversaries, she hunkered down and drove her shield forward, hoping to drive them back a few steps so she could breathe. Instead, the radius of her shield proved to be too narrow as several razor sharp claws leapt over the top rim of her defense. Realizing she wouldn't be able to react fast enough to dodge the attack, Homura flinched and looked away.

The pain did not come. Opening her eyes, she turned and saw that the bloodred shield which had been encasing Kyouko had now expanded, becoming large enough to accommodate both of them. Looking back, she saw the demons which had come so close to finishing her clawing at the unbreakable surface. It seemed that the walls kept things out, but she would still have to reach beyond its boundaries to kill. The sweat pouring down Kyouko's face made it obvious that maintaining such a large diameter was extremely taxing.

They had to end this quickly.

Taking a brief respite from the battle, Homura quickly opened a storage portal a reach inside it, pulling out a sleek submachine gun. She hadn't used mechanical weapons in a while, having grown accustomed to fighting at long ranges with her bow, but the situation called for it. Yanking the slide and feeling the first round chamber, she yelled and opened fire, spraying the bullets left, right, up, anywhere and everywhere, because no matter where she aimed there was a screaming demon there to eat the projectiles.

An empty click told her the clip was empty, and the demons multiplied tenfold within the time it took for her to reload and chamber another round. Homura's mind ran desperately through her options as her bullets were swallowed up by the seemingly endless tide of despair.

Well, there was an option, but she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to resort to it.

Then the sound of Kyouko screaming assaulted her ears, and Homura saw the shield flicker for a moment, allowing an arm to reach in and slash the redhead's arm.

That was it. "Kyouko!" The black haired girl screamed, ignoring the honorifics. "Tighten the shield only around yourself! Strengthen it at all costs!"

"Are you fucking insane!?" The girl shouted back. "You'll die!"

"Just trust me!"

_Trust._ Something Homura didn't exactly believe in. And yet here she found herself, asking it of someone who had every reason to refuse.

But Kyouko nodded. "Okay," She said almost too softly to hear. The crimson shield's radius immediately began to shrink, and once it became too small to contain both of them, Homura did the unthinkable and spread her wings, spiraling upwards towards the moon. Several demons noticed this and separated from the main pack in hot pursuit, but it was already too late for them.

_I hope this doesn't cost the city too much money in damage,_ Homura thought as she opened twenty storage portals, allowing the military grade RPG launchers which emerged to hover almost peacefully around her.

Then, tightening her fist, she allowed them all to fire.

Over a dozen rocket propelled grenades burst from the tubes and dove, screaming, into the thundering mass below, impacting the ground and sending a spectacular crash through the air as Homura turned away and fled higher, needing to escape the shockwave which inevitably ensued. The roar of fire rumbled behind her and the agonized death cries of the demons inside bit at her ankles.

Once the shield user felt she had put enough distance between herself and any possible debris, she turned around and observed her handiwork.

Gone. The demons were all gone, the last of them only shimmering as they fragmented in the light. Craters riddled the decimated concrete of the square in which they had fought, and holes were scattered across the sides of nearby buildings. Several pillars of smoke were rising from the impact sites, and little chunks of obliterated stone were still raining down like unforgiving snow. The sound of the massive explosion was still echoing in the distance. It looked like an image straight out of some gritty war movie, except this was far from a product of fiction but reality, reality as stark and frank as it could possibly be.

And in the center of it all was Kyouko.

The redhead was turning three-sixties, stunned by the destruction she found around her, the crimson force field which had been the only thing between herself and death by fire shuddering and eventually winking out. Finally completing her observations, the redhead craned her neck to look up at her savior. Her lips formed words, and although Homura couldn't hear them, she knew what they were.

_Thank you._

_I filled my cup with the rising of the sea_

_And poured it out in an ocean of debris..._

* * *

**Chapter finished! It did take rather long to complete, considering that each addition to this story is longer than how I usually write. As for frequency of updates, I do plan to post new chapters on a biweekly schedule (or twice a month).**

**I hope you enjoyed it so far! If it seems like nothing is really happening it's mostly because I'm setting the world and its circumstances up at the moment.**

**Do review! I motivates me greatly to receive feedback.**

**~Shrrg**


	3. Guilty By Association

Chapter 3: Guilty By Association

Shattered gravel scattered frantically in the wake of Homura's anger as she stalked through the alleys of the middle districts, the walls around her still smoking from the firepower she had unleashed upon them only moments earlier. Her inner sense told her exactly where the blonde Puella Magi was and that there was no real need to hurry, but Homura moved faster anyways, displaying a rare case of doing something unnecessary.

Yes, Akemi Homura was expending excess energy, something which should have thrown terror into the hearts of most. There were very, very few things in current existence which could push her even slightly over the edge, but one of these very few things had just decided to present itself.

Anger.

And not just any particular breed of anger either, but the kind which dug deep, thrashed at the most sensitive parts of one's inner fears, the kind that clearly identified the line and purposefully crossed it in all its mocking, infuriating power. Homura couldn't stop replaying the scene in her mind, the hot flash of irrational agitation which had ripped through her at the sight of Mami abandoning her post to exorcise a _man,_ an old man who never would have known the inconvenience he had caused and probably wouldn't care if he did.

And now look at what you've done, she thought, look at what you've done with your foolish obsession with justice and being helpful to others. Come back and look at the smoking crater fifty, sixty yards behind me now and tell me that one fragile old man not two winters from death was worth all of it. Tell me with a straight face that it was worth the blood running and drying up in rivulets down Kyouko's arm and the empty look in her eyes, her brain still rattled by the explosions which had screamed around her.

_Tell me, tell me, tell me!_ She thought almost rabidly, almost running now as Kyouko tried her best to keep up. Homura turned rapidly around the last corner and saw her, the older magical girl just finishing the exorcism and watching the broken demon rise out from the old man's soul and not even killing it, just sitting back and watching it go like it was a harmless bird and not a catalyst of death.

It was a humid night, and this part of the city had comparably poor sanitation, the corners shivering in the darkness with muck and stray sewage, the old man collapsed peacefully on the ground, fast asleep. Homura covered the distance between them quickly but decided to give Mami time to stand and explain herself, not out a desire to consider the blonde's argument, but a need to hear it then promptly destroy it.

The older girl continued staring at the old man for a moment longer, then flexed and rose to her feet. She turned and saw the other two magical girls just simply staring back at her, and in a show of folly which baffled Homura, offered them a winning smile.

"Good thing I got to him in time," She laughed.

The sound of contentment was cut off into a grunt when the black haired girl standing in front of her lashed out and seized her by the collar, bending her arm until they were face to face and Homura could blast the girl with her disapproval from as close as possible.

"What are you doing?" Mami protested, trying to twist out of the grip but yelping when Homura's second hand joined her first and she shook the girl once, twice, hard and jolting.

"_What am I doing?_" The shield user repeated scathingly, and Mami felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. "I could ask the same thing of you a million times, and you would never be able to provide me with a satisfactory answer...Do you realize what happened once you abandoned your position?"

The words seemed to get through, and the blonde dropped her facade. Expression darkening somewhat, the gun wielder muttered, "Well you still made it, didn't you?"

"That's not what matters!" Homura spat in the girl's face, making her flinch and loving every nanosecond of it. "There's a ten foot deep _hole_ smoldering back there right now. And if you listen, you can hear the sirens wailing in the distance. The explosion must have been heard from the school two districts away, but I had to do it, because _somebody_ decided to turn around and help this little old man here!" She jabbed her finger at the frail body at their feet, knowing she shouldn't be feeling any animosity towards the stranger, but Homura hated him anyway because of what Mami had done for him.

The blonde bared her teeth and her fingers twitched as if they were itching to reach for the pistol sitting its holster at her hip, but thought better of it. "Well, what would you have wanted me to do? Leave him?"

"Yes!" Homura yelled, feeling her vocal cords straining from the high volumes they were not accustomed to. "How do you know we couldn't have helped him after the battle? He probably would still have been here, stumbling through the filth, and we could have helped him then. Together. Just like you always wanted, right?" The black haired girl said, but she made the initially pure wish seem naive and misguided. She suddenly let go of the older girl then, and Mami fell back a few steps at the unexpected move, quickly adjusting her collar.

Meanwhile, the wailing of the sirens grew closer.

"Guys," Kyouko voiced nervously, "We need to get out of here."

Homura ignored her. "But you didn't think about that, did you?" She whispered, her eyes full of judgement. "You pretend to fight for justice, and for the benefit of others, but really you're fulfilling a selfish wish for yourself."

"That's not true!" Mami abruptly burst out, sending a pair of rats scurrying away into the shadows. Homura raised her eyebrow and Kyouko gulped, the redhead uncharacteristically unnerved. The pastor's daughter was not used to seeing her friends fight with someone other than herself.

"That's not true," The blonde repeated, softly this time. The glow of her Soul Gem dimmed a fraction. "All I wanted was to help this man, nothing else-"

"At the possible expense of Kyouko's life?" Homura asked, the words not loud but cutting through the air like her arrows. "At the expense of vast sums of money in collateral damage? Even by your philosophy, in the overall run of things, your decision was irrational, and it placed us all in danger. Just admit it, Tomoe-san, you don't fight for justice in every shape or form..."

"...just the most convenient one."

Homura saw the blood leave Mami's face and knew she may be going to far, but simply couldn't stop herself, the sadistic side of her personality rising on the wave of anger from before and taking over all faculties. This girl had endangered the people Madoka had chosen to save, an insult that she would never allow to pass unattended.

"Hanezawa-san was her name, right?" The black haired girl continued, taking a step forward and fighting back a smile when Mami retreated in response. "I don't know her rather well, but she seems like a very nice girl...pretty, good with people, someone who leads a dull life. Basically everything you would ever want, am I right?"

"No..."

"That's why you do these things, isn't it? Why you are so against allowing the hospital hotspot to fester...you're just trying to convince yourself." The sirens were too close now, but Homura tried to block them out. "You were forced into a contract for fear of losing your life, and now you spent your days trying to prove that there was something meaningful, something _honorable_ in doing such a thing. As if in the end, it'll help you win back your humanity..."

Mami tore her eyes aware from Homura's and heard the sirens bearing down on them, and gasped, "We have to go-"

"You don't have to worry about such a thing," Homura continued regardless. "Magical girls are the most inhumane beings to walk this earth, but we are also the most human of them all, because for all the good we could do it will all be met with an equal amount of despair. It's all pointless, meaningless...there will never be an end until you learn to worry for only yourself and those beside you, those who will fight in your stead when you are defeated."

Homura saw the truth of her words warring with Mami's philosophies in the agony on the blonde's face. The sirens were really too close by now, and Kyouko was practically shouting at them by now that they had to leave. Mami turned to leave again and Homura did not stop her. The blonde was about to leap away and disappear over the rooftops when the shield user called out to her, and she looked back reluctantly.

"Will Hanezawa-san fight for you?" She asked.

And with the inquiry hanging in the air like a dying moth, she turned and melded into the shadows, Kyouko hesitating momentarily before following her. Mami gritted her teeth and leapt away herself.

_I don't want her to._

* * *

Petals.

The word flitted across Kiku's mind with the delicacy of the plant in question, dancing through her memories as if it were borne by the air slipping between her hair at that very moment. Opening her eyes and seeing the baby blue sky stretching above and behind her forever, she wondered how far that petal would fly before the wind left and it fell, helpless now in the hands of gravity, down to whatever lay awaiting it.

Yawning softly and looking down, the brunette saw the book laying open on her lap and remembered why she was on top of the roof to begin with. She enjoyed coming up here occasionally to enjoy a good story or simply contemplate in peace, finding the constant hubbub of society a bit too clamorous to allow for profound pondering. Not that she was someone who regularly indulged in such an obscure thing, as there weren't many experiences the girl had to draw on. The truth was that she just liked to fall asleep with the open sky above her.

Linking her fingers and stretching them above her head luxuriously, Kiku _hmmed_ and squinted at the cityscape far away in the distance. It really was quiet here. She could hardly hear the subways or the speech of the masses from here, like she was in a rocket hurtling away from the surface of the earth until there was nothing but empty space around her, completely devoid of disturbances save for her own contemplations. Sighing and letting her arms fall back to her sides, Kiku closed her eyes in hopes of recapturing the rapture of sleep.

But the voice in her head had other ideas. [_Aren't you going to continue reading?_]

Pursing her lips and twisting them briefly in annoyance, the girl peeled her eyes open again. This had been an ongoing issue for months now, starting from around the time fall had begun. It was a blight which followed her everywhere, constantly haunting her consciousness with its presence as if to taunt her because she couldn't detect any physical manifestation of it. It made her feel crazy, and crazy was generally considered to be a negative adjective in her society.

[_You really do sleep too much,_] The voice continued.

Kiku _tsked_ with her tongue and readjusted her grip on the novel she had been consuming. Well, perhaps she was being too harsh on the second consciousness which liked to visit the depths of her brain from time to time. After all, it seemed to harbor a decent respect for her privacy. And it had yet to place her under any particularly excrutiating circumstances.

Though of course, she actually would be genuinely insane to act like hearing voices in one's mind wasn't far from normal. Everyone knew the horror stories of schizophrenia and dementia, but as surreal as it felt to claim, Kiku didn't feel like her problem dealt with any of those areas of psychology. After all, if her brain was falling apart in such a manner, she most likely wouldn't have been aware of it. The personality which spoke to her from time to time felt very much like a separate individual, not something which had sprouted from within like a mental tumor.

[_Hello? Hanezawa-san?_] The voice pressed, which Kiku had fallen into the habit of calling Kage-san. After all, it was like her shadow had developed a life of its own.

Using her nail to skim some pages in search of her original spot in the story, the brunette thought back [_Alright, alright, I heard you the first time. You don't have to pester me so much._]

[_You have my apologies,_] Kage-san responded politely.

Kiku rediscovered the last page she had been reading before falling asleep and resumed her activities. After discovering that the voice in her head was not, in fact, a sign of her insanity, the girl had been naturally driven by curiosity to learn about this strange individual which seemed to exist within her thoughts. Investigations had proven to be surprisingly difficult. There was nothing physical for her to base any observations off of, and Kage-san's speech patterns were always rather flat and devoid of any particular emotion. After carrying this mental parasite around in her cranium for ten weeks, Kiku had only been able to nail down two apparent facts; one, he was exceedingly respectful, and two, his favorite subject was herself.

It was true. After deciding to find out more about Kage-san, Kiku had attempted to steer the topic of conversation towards the separate consciousness, but he had always seemed to catch on to this and turned the subject back to her in response. He wanted to know so many things about her, and they were never simple questions like what her favorite color was. No, they were always inquiries which really made her think, something she had been reluctant to do so often, as it was the only thing Kage-san ever wanted to talk about. Regardless, Kiku had soon realized that it was easier for her to indulge the invisible individual.

What was her opinion on death? It was a horrible thing, of course, losing a loved one or even someone you had just met on the street. But it was comforting in its own way, because it meant that person was finally save in the loving arms of God...

So she did place her faith in religion? Of course she did! In a world full of half truths and ambiguity, it was the only absolute guarantee in existence.

Then where did he fit in among her beliefs?

She hadn't been able to answer that.

[_I don't quite comprehend the actions of this Montag character,_] Kage-san quipped, although without any hint of hostility. [_Why does he insist on casting aside the luxuries of his world for the sake of a couple books? It seems to be a terribly misguided gamble_.]

Kiku turned the page. [_Well, to us humans, having a purpose in life is very important. Even if it seems small or insignificant. Everybody wants something to strive for._]

The voice went silent for a couple more pages. Then, [_What do you strive for?_]

Kiku just laughed out loud and brushed a long honey colored strand of hair behind her ear. [_I don't know, really. Something big, I guess._]

[_What would you say if I told you I could make that ambition a reality?_]

Her thumb paused for a moment while sliding under another page. Her shadow was prone to asking such questions quite often; questions which were totally against the current context and put her on the spot, as if to exact the ultimate answer. And yet, Kiku had yet to succeed in providing one.

Then the brunette realized she was taking too long to respond, and continued reading to buy another moment's time. [_I don't know. I don't need to worry about things like that. Such thing's don't happen._]

[_Oh, but they do._]

[_What do you mean?_]

[_Almost any wish can come true. So long as the energy is there to facilitate it. What do you wish for?_]

She had considered telling somebody about this. But what would she have said? And to who? Kiku could hardly come home from school one day and say, "Mother, sorry to bother you when you're so busy, but there's a polite voice in my head who wants to know where he fits in with the Divine Plan." There was no telling what sort of chaos that would instigate. Especially in her home. Her parents were not exactly the most considerate and protective people in the world. Rather, she would be in the car and on the way to a mental asylum before she could say "Let me explain." Kiku's mother and father didn't base their decisions off external evidence.

Just what they believed to be right.

_What do you wish for?_

Even now, Kiku couldn't help wishing that one of them would call her and demand to know where she was. For Christ's sake, school had ended two hours ago and she had come straight here, to this obscure roof which nobody else was really aware of or acknowledged. What if she was kidnapped? Or attacked by gangs? Questions which would have theoretically crossed the mind of a concerned and caring parent, but her guardians hardly fit that bill. No, her guardians didn't really find loving her to be a priority. They could only be bothered to dress her up nicely and send her off to school with a chipper smile and a spring in her step, but would never make sure that smile was genuine. It simply had to be there, regardless of the means deployed, to save face and reputation. Kiku never succeeded in keeping her heart from feeling hatred every time her mother hugged and kissed her and cooed sweet nothings in front of company, only to brush her aside the moment the door closed and there was a reliable barrier between them and the judgement of others.

They couldn't take her to the zoo for her seventh birthday because they were exhausted from work. They had to ask her aunt to attend her middle school graduation in their place because a business juggernaut wanted to speak with them and it could be their _big break_. They had to hire a nanny to raise their daughter while they were away until the wee hours of the night, and fire her when she began to question the extent to which they neglected their child, because really, what was more important? Their integrity or some silly nanny who didn't follow orders?

Kiku knew that some, if not most, would identify her parental troubles as the complaints of a spoiled child. After all, there were so many apparent positives to her existence. Even from her modest perspective she couldn't deny that she was rather popular among her peers, and boys her age or even not her age had a habit of growing overly affectionate towards her very quickly. Her teachers respected her and she had yet to make a genuine enemy other than herself. But it was all superficial, Kiku knew, because all the perceptions anyone had ever had of her were false, and she had no one else to blame but herself.

Nobody had really known who she really was, back then. She had tried, genuinely, to find someone who would listen. But no one was interested in the troubles of a distraught teenaged girl. They only wanted to see her pretty face, the peppy attitude. And it may have been due to a dash of cynicism on her part, but Kiku had begun to hate anyone who admired her. They weren't concerned with _her,_ just what she brought to the table. And even with that, what good was she to others, really? When a classmate's relative passed away, could her good grades help ease the grief? If gangs began to regularly attack the school, would her attractive smile chase them away? No. Everything that drew others to her was really worth nothing. Whether through arbitrary means or not, Kiku had arrived at this conclusion.

Nobody had really needed her.

That was, until Mami.

A bird sped by overhead and made the sun flicker above her for a moment, and Kiku blinked. It suddenly occurred to her that she had sat in silence without turning a page for much too long; Kage had yet to say anything, but she knew that the shadow was slightly offended by now. She could _feel_ it.

"Oh...uh, sorry," The brunette muttered, hastily continuing the story. But the shadow said nothing to her, and this internal silence continued as she absorbed page after page with frightening efficiency, as if she could out-read her blunder.

The consciousness inside of her waited until the beginning of the final chapter, _Burning Bright,_ to speak. [_You seemed troubled for a moment. Would you mind telling me what you were thinking about?_]

Kiku folded the page to mark her spot and closed the volume with a loud clap. Frowning and looking away as if Kage were sitting right beside her, she thought, [_It's nothing. Nothing that matters now, anyway. Don't worry about it._]

[_I'm not worried at all,_] The ever calm voice replied. [_But I could sense the disturbances within your psyche. And nothing has taken place to instigate such a change._]

Exhaling loudly through her nose, Kiku craned her neck back once again, towards the innocent clouds. So her shadow couldn't read her thoughts, after all. It only heard what she wanted it to hear. Really, there were endless questions she could ask about the nature of the individual which lived within her. But, as previously concluded, seeking outside help was not a very viable option. So she had decided to keep it to herself, in hopes that a solution would present itself in due time. But until that happened, she was alone in this.

Finally, the girl broke down and thought, [_I was just thinking about my parents, okay? I always go to places once school lets out, and they never so much as call to make sure I'm alright...as if they don't care. And they don't. But it's been like that for a long while now, so it doesn't really matter to me…and besides, I could never tell anyone about it, because they wouldn't want to hear it._]

[_Well, you could tell me about it._]

Kiku had zero intention of doing such a thing. Reading wasn't so common anymore as it had been at the turn of the century, seeing as virtually every form of literature had become digitalized and stored in computers, but she had always been an avid reader. And in her experience as an amateur litterateur, she had come across characters who were fooled by seemingly benevolent figures much too often. Not everyone who wanted to listen to your problems was genuinely concerned for you.

Besides, she didn't see the point in revisiting old issues. The agony she had gone through of feeling all alone in the world was something she had managed to put behind her, even if it had only been two years in reality. Things were different now; things were better. Most of the problems she had dealt with on the subject of friends and emotional connection had gone away. Mami had been the real catalyst to such a change, something Kiku rarely would admit due to her pride, but she had always known that she owed much of her current happiness to the blonde for what she had done.

But the specifics was not something she could tell to just anyone.

[_You don't trust me,_] Her shadow concluded on her own.

[_Well, sorry._]

[_No, I don't blame you. Trust is a very ambiguous thing, anyway. I prefer to make contracts.]_

Kiku didn't even bother trying to understand what her shadow could mean by that. As far as she was concerned, she considered Kage to be an alien. He talked and acted like a human, certainly, but there was something off about it at the same time, like the slight difference between the original and a faked copy. There was something missing there, something that didn't feel organic like a individual's life but cold, calculating. Her voice in her head had yet to wrong her, but Kiku had never been able to shake the suspicion that one day, it would.

[_But surely, you have someone you are able to confide in?_] Kage asked.

The sun was at the apex of its descent into the horizon, the last of its bleeding rays painting the buildings below her a brilliant crimson, as if the burning star were hanging onto the earth for its life. [_Of course I do. Mami-chan. I've told you about her before, haven't I?_]

[_Ah, of course,_] Her shadow agreed. [_I do know of Mami Tomoe-san. Your best friend, although I am not clear on the criteria used to judge the strength of associations between people. You two have known each other for a long while, yes?_]

Kiku couldn't help smiling at the thought of her friend. [_It's been a while, sure, but not extraordinarily long. I met her when we entered high school._]

Kage didn't say anything to that, but she felt the spark of interest there. [_Would you mind telling me about that? How you met Mami Tomoe-san._]

Kiku blushed sightly at the memory. [_Sorry, but no._]

[_Very well_.]

Her shadow withdrew from her mind then, like a passing thunderhead. Kiku had never actually found out if the foreign consciousness ever actually left her, or if it was constantly with her, only becoming accessible for conversation when it chose to be. The thought of it terrified her, so she tried to not to think about it.

Sighing, she began to gather her things and stuff them into her bag. It was about time to head home; the sun was almost completely set, and the city became malevolent at night. Even so, the brunette harbored a reluctance to return home; she didn't want to face the uncaring stares of her mother and father. She doubted they would even ask where she had been.

Once again, Kiku wondered where the voices in the head had come from, and what they wanted.

Then the fear sprouted within her that they would never leave, so she quickly squashed the thought. It didn't do to dwell on things one could no control. Until she figured out his true intentions, she would have to maintain her harmony with Kage-san. There was no telling what he was actually capable of.

As the girl began clicking down the steps which had led up to the rooftop, she remembered her shadow's question about how she and Mami had met. It had been beyond her comfort zone to divulge that information.

It wasn't very romantic to not keep one's motivations a secret.

* * *

For the first time in a long while, Homura felt warm.

She couldn't explain it at the given moment. She was wrapped under the thick coils of sleep, and said coils had no intention of letting her go willingly, but the girl harbored a strange desire to indulge for this. Slumber had always been such an arbitrary thing to her in the past, as she had seen it as nothing more than a necessity for survival. If it were possible to operate endlessly without rest, Homura probably would have done so. It had become infused within her very psyche after all those time leaps and failures, the idea that nothing mattered but the task at hand. No sacrifice had been too great to make. Indulgence had become incomprehensible to her.

But right now, she felt different. So utterly different that the girl didn't react adversely to it, instead letting it smother her further, because it felt so good, so _right,_ that despite the fact that Homura was unused to the warmth of another human being pressing against her, she could allow herself to embrace it. Murmuring something incoherent into something soft and downy, she buried her nose into whatever it was she was sleeping against, not even bothering to find out what it was because it had been eternity since she had been able to truly relax.

Homura was not, by nature, a callous and cold person. If anyone still retained memories from the original timeline before Madoka's wish, they would have described the black haired girl as timid and shy, though reliable and kind as well. These were not adjectives which came to mind when someone saw her at the present time, however, because of the scars her history had left in her face. It was true that Homura had changed drastically from the cowardly rookie she had been, but the efficient and uncaring personality she exhibited now was simply a layer built on top of what was already there. The naive version of herself still existed, hibernating underneath all the walls Homura had built around herself, emerging for only the briefest of moments when the girl showed an even rarer sign of vulnerability. This was one of those times, and if a third person had been present to observe her sleeping face, they would have described it with an unfitting word like _content._

Then as if the ruin the moment, Homura's eyes fluttered open.

The first thing she saw was a swath of red, something which confused her sleep-drunk mind enough to make her wonder what it was and who is belonged to. The brain sparked a bit and Homura wondered why she felt so groggy. She usually woke up already on full alert. Then an even stranger thing happened when the girl decided she really didn't care, instead opting to her nose against the soft curve of an ear.

That was enough to break her stupor.

Irises dilating, Homura's eyelids tore them self apart again as she took in the gentle sweep of the ear she had just been nuzzling, and beyond that, the slightly parted lips of the girl it belong to, and still beyond that, the steady rise and fall of her chest. She took this all in within the span of one single, electrifying second, the faint smell coming from Kyouko's hair that was almost undetectable but intoxicating once discovered, how steady and soft the redhead's breathing was when Homura had always imagined she would be a snorer. This bevy of evidence rushed forward all at once, clamoring to be examined, but only one question managed to formulate, and that was how the _hell_ she had fallen asleep on the couch intertwined with Kyouko.

At that moment, the other girl _hmmed_ in her sleep and twisted around a bit, making goosebumps erupt all over Homura's body when she felt their skin slide together in multiple places. A thin blanket was draped over both of them, forcing them to lay even closer together, and Homura suddenly found herself cursing the existence of said blanket.

Fighting the urge to cough, Homura forced herself to regulate her breathing, for fear of waking the redhead sleeping like a log not two centimeters from her nose. How in the world had they ended up like this? Frantically, the girl searched her memory for events from the previous night. She remembered the confrontation with Mami. And then flying home in her anger, ignoring the fact that Kyouko had chosen to follow her instead of the blonde. Then inviting the spear wielder into her home for a few minutes out of some odd compulsion for courtesy, an idea which had resulted in them talking most of the night away. She remembered breaking out the rum cakes at some point...

At that point Homura cursed. So _that_ was the culprit, the blasted rum cakes! She had been diligently staving herself off the damned treats for three weeks now, hoping to get over the obsession she had developed for them even since having one about a year before. But the conversation had taken off to an entirely new level, and she really hadn't planned on having guests...the rum cakes had been the only option.

Groaning inwardly, Homura shut her eyes. But since when did people get drunk and fall asleep off of _rum cakes_? She felt that their abilities as magical girls should have protected them from becoming intoxicated, at least to a certain extent, but then again sedatives and painkillers still worked on their bodily systems. Getting drunk essentially worked by the same principals. And the bodies of most fourteen year old girls weren't built for considerable consumption of alcoholic foods. Homura tried irritably to remember how many she had consumed. Six, seven slices maybe...

Kyouko softly muttered something under her breath, tearing the other girl back to the situation at hand.

Gulping, she weighed her options. It didn't seem likely that she could untangle herself without waking the redhead. Shifting slightly, Homura was rather dismayed to find that their legs were a hopeless knot under the thin blanket which had been draped over them at some point. Lightning bolts started going off inside the black haired girl's head. It wasn't like her to make such careless mistakes, and she knew it. Then again, it also wasn't like her to care about being embarrassed over such a petty thing like sharing a couch. Yet even as she told this to herself, her pulse was thundering in her ears, and an ice cube would have melted from the heat coming off her face in waves. Homura had been caught off guard and she knew it.

"Ehehe," Kyouko said in her sleep abruptly, making Homura flinch badly. After recovering from the brief shock, she was about to return to brooding over an escape plan when the older girl shifted around in her sleep and threw her right leg over Homura's body, effectively trapping her under its weight.

The heart and brain immediately flew into panic mode. She was being_ smothered_; she may have enjoyed the girl's warmth while she herself was also unconscious, but she would never stand for skin to skin contact with anybody but Madoka. Hands moving completely by reflex, Homura scrabbled for the Soul Gem sitting in her pocket and summoned part of her magic, freezing time almost immediately. In the split second before the ability took effect, she saw that the movement had woken Kyouko up. Moving nimbly, the black haired girl thrashed and struggled until she managed to slip out from under the redhead's weight, tripping and tumbling onto the wooden floor below as her magic automatically cancelled itself out.

Twisting swiftly, Homura got her feet under her and stood up as gracefully as she could, two fingers reaching up to fix her already messy morning hair. Kyouko, meanwhile, groaned at the rowdy awakening and kicked at the blanket for a moment, trying to find her bearings. The redhead eventually opened her eyes and saw the unfamiliar ceiling above her, which prompted her to sit up abruptly and look around like a frightened rabbit. Her crimson eyes fell on the couch's owner, and silence pervaded the air for just a moment as the two girls stared at each other.

Kyouko wast the first to break the silence. "Don't tell me..." She muttered, the realization dawning on her face.

Homura had to try very, very hard to fight back a rather strong blush and looked away at the floor. "Don't worry about it."

"Hope I didn't suffocate you," The older girl replied somewhat playfully, knowing how awkward the atmosphere had just become and trying to amend it. "You mow down demons like a lawn mower, but you're still hanging around five feet, aren't you?"

Homura, who had graciously been given the opportunity to compose herself completely, met the earnest jibe with her usual blank stare, although it was tainted by a faint smile. "I'm five foot two, if I do say so myself. Not terribly short."

"Well, you could still do with some more growing," Kyouko replied as if this were a matter of fact, reaching for her shoulder to push the strap of her tank top back to its proper place. Homura's eyes tracked this movement but quickly ceased doing so, finding it oddly vulgar. The redhead had seemingly cast aside her standard jacket; she could see it lying on the floor nearby. Her own school uniform had been made much less formal, the light brown coat gone and the white shirt underneath undone for the first three buttons. Homura shifted, a bit uncomfortable. Her skirt was rumpled and creased from the less than accommodating conditions she had slept in. It didn't help that Kyouko was shamelessly looking at her all over.

The older girl smirked. "Haven't ever seen you dressed casual before. You go hunting like it's a job interview instead. Hope the two of us didn't do anything we're going to regret last night, eh?"

Homura frowned. "Please don't suggest such things."

Kyouko laughed nervously at the totally unamused tone of voice. "Alright, sorry. But really, I apologize. It was probably my fault that we got drunk so easily off those cakes...my magic is in the illusionary category, so just being around me while I'm intoxicated can be trouble. I should have told you about it beforehand. It's caused me more than enough issues in the past."

The shield user raised an eyebrow skeptically, moving to sit cross-legged on the floor. "You regularly consume alcohol?"

Kyouko blushed. "Of course not! Well, not regularly at least," The girl admitted. "Mostly right after making my wish. I was going through a hard time, you know? And I've never been above stealing. People do what they can."

Homura nodded in understanding. Of course, she knew that magical girls couldn't be judged by the same standards as normal humans. Even when it came to the topic of drugs and alcohol, she was sure there was some Puella Magi out there who was justified in abusing them, at least to some extent. In fact, she considered magical girls like Mami and Kyouko to be very tame cases; the only thing the redhead had done which was nonconforming with society was drop school, and the blonde still regularly attended classes, although her grades were rather dismal. Kyouko had told them both the horror stories of other Puella Magi, beyond the city's borders; how lawless it was in other regions, where nobody worked together or at least respected each others' boundaries, and the way they all degenerated into animals to survive.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the rabid growling of a certain's girl's stomach. Kyouko chuckled and patted her abdomen, grinning rather sheepishly. "Sorry, but would you mind if I had some breakfast before heading out? Otherwise I'd be forced to raid a Yakuza hideout..."

Homura managed a wider smile this time and stood back up.

"Come with me."

Half an hour later, Kyouko was wolfing down a bowl of ramen and chilled tea while her friend sat across the small eating table, consuming her own (noticeably smaller) portion of the noodles with a bit more poise. Homura couldn't help feeling a bit amused at the sight of someone consuming food like it was their last meal; she preached composure and calmness, but there was still a certain entertainment in seeing how animated people could become.

The sun was streaming in through the windows, another unusually sunny day when winter had just begun. The black haired girl sipped at her bowl for a moment before staring out past the glass at the world beyond it. Fortunately, today was Saturday; otherwise she would have woken up two hours late for first period. Homura wasn't used to waking up so late in the day. She had learned over time to place her bodily clock under strict discipline, and rare was the day where she rose after six-thirty in the morning. Yet here she was, sitting and eating ramen without having brushed her teeth, hair still tangled at the ends and clothes still on and wrinkled from the previous day. She felt awfully sloppy.

Blinking and shaking her head, Homura looked back across the table at the catalyst of all these irregularities.

Kyouko had just finished her hefty serving of ramen and was wiping her mouth with a napkin, leaning back into the chair and sighing in content. Then she looked over and saw that Homura had slowed down considerably in the pace of her eating, and pointed at the smaller bowl, asking, "You going to finish that?"

"Probably not," She answered honestly. "My stomach is off schedule."

"Never waste food," The redhead lectured, reaching across the table to retrieve the unfinished noodles from their potential waster. "It's a sin."

"I'm not religious," Homura replied, saying it in a way that made the other girl wonder if she was trying to be amusingly sarcastic. In either case, she needed practice.

"Hmm," Kyouko said, slurping up the second serving. "Well, I don't blame you. Most magical girls aren't. I mean, it's kind of hard to keep your faith when there's demons and possessed old men floating all over the place, right?" She set down the bowl. "Makes me feel stupid sometimes, since I still consider myself a Christian. Like I'm more naive than I think. And I hate naive people."

Homura shrugged and began to absentmindedly clean her chopsticks. "Well, we shouldn't judge each others' motivations. So long as they don't interfere with our lifestyles. It doesn't matter to me if you're a Christian or not; I wouldn't find you naive in either case, despite how we might have felt about each other before."

The spear wielder half grinned. "I know. You aren't petty like that. It just makes me feel silly sometimes, because religion is the whole reason I'm caught up in this "magical girl" bullshit...yet I still cling to it when I need to."

"At least you practice moderation," Homura muttered, a dark thought or two entering her mind. "Unlike some other people I know."

Kyouko blinked. "You mean Mami? Well..." She rolled that around in her mouth for a moment. "She's got a head on her shoulders too, you know."

"I would be inclined to disagree," Homura replied curtly, standing up and collecting both bowls and their utensils to take to the sink. She let the silence hang while she took the dishes to their station, dropping them into the hollowed out boxes before starting the water. "I'm still appalled at how much of a fool she was yesterday. She made a completely unnecessary gamble that threw us all into a vulnerable position. There would have been no problems if we simply exorcised that old man after the horde had been cleared."

Homura knew that she was currently insulting Kyouko's closest friend, but she trusted the redhead to understand her point of view. She herself knew that the other two were more emotionally driven then she was, which explained the majority of their actions, and by the same hand Kyouko knew how calculating she was. Mami, however...she doubted that girl understood anything.

"I can't say that what Mami did wasn't stupid," Kyouko said, rising from her own seat and walking over to help with the cleaning. "Because it was _very_ stupid. But have you ever thought that she simply doesn't have control over it? People grow up, and they mix with each other...things like that are bound to happen. You can't always control who or what you have to fight for. I'm pretty sure all three of us made our wishes because there was no other alternative. Don't you think she just wants back her right to make a choice?"

"When a politician pledges to support the health of the environment, is he genuinely concerned for nature or is he simply attempting to appease to the liberals?" Homura replied, systematically scrubbing at the inside of a bowl; there were more dishes than usual, seeing as she had been unable to do them the night before. "Most likely, it's just a guise to ensure his victory. Tomoe-san doesn't fight solely for justice, even though she insists that she does. I can't say that it doesn't drive any part of her philosophy, but it certainly isn't the central force."

Kyouko paused in her share of the cleaning, trying her best to process this. "Then what is?"

Homura reached out and shut off the steady stream of water, the dishes on her end all clean. Grabbing a towel to dry her hands, she turned away and murmured, "Selfishness."

She heard Kyouko go silent behind her and knew that she must have offended the girl. But she had to voice her opinion, just this once, because if the three of them were ever going to exist in harmony, they all had to see and know things as they were. Homura understood very well that nobody liked to have their beliefs questioned; anyone simply had to sit down with a priest for a few minutes and glorify atheism to know what she meant. But it was still necessary.

"But we're all selfish, aren't we?" The older girl's voice spoke suddenly, surprising Homura with how amused it sounded. Turning, she saw the redhead simply smiling back at her, the dishes left untouched. "Everybody's selfish. Humans, they're so selfish it's disgusting. But it's what makes people people, I think..." She paused for more words, unused to expressing her opinions verbally. Kyouko usually voiced her thoughts through spear and chain.

Homura sighed and handed the towel to the older girl. "If that's the case, why does Tomoe-san struggle with the prospect of losing her humanity? You may not have caught on to it last night, but I saw the fear on her face." She paused. "When I suggested it, I saw the guilt there. And when I spoke through the mental link to her about the hotspot, the consciousness almost cut me off because her emotions were out of control."

"You were probably provoking her," Kyouko guessed.

"Maybe. But guess who was there with her at the time? A classmate, a girl who goes by the name of Kiku Hanezawa. I admit that I don't know the specifics of their relationship, but it can be assumed that they are good friends. And when I suggested that perhaps the topic at hand was more important than her friend at the moment, I felt her rage over the thought waves. And it concerns me."

Outside, a passing cloud shielded the sun from the world looking up to it, plunging the interior of the room in semi-darkness. Briefly, Homura thought back to the days before she had reunited with the other Puella Magi. About the curiosity which had partly driven her to seek reconcilement. Why had Madoka chosen to bring back these two? And for what reasons? She had expected to find out in due time. Yet here she was, more confused than ever.

_Why, Madoka?_ Homura thought, closing her eyes for a split second. _What are you trying to tell me? _

She thought she felt her longtime friend respond with a featherlight brush against her mind, and shivered.

Kyouko eyed her. "What's wrong? You cold?"

Homura was pulled back to reality. "...No," She murmured. It was difficult to bring up the subject of Madoka to anyone else. After all, she had never _existed_ to anyone else. Homura's being the only one able to recall memories of the pink haired girl was both a blessing and a curse. Thanks to it, she was never alone, but simultaneously, she was more isolated than anyone.

Kyouko walked back to the couch and retrieved her jacket, slipping into it. "We all fight for something. I chose my family. Mami just chose everyone else. It's the same thing, just bigger, not different at all. You fight for somebody too, right? Her name was..." The redhead silently wracked her brains.

"...Madoka."

She nodded. "Right. Madoka. So you and Mami are more alike than both of you think, I'd imagine."

"But that's different," Homura protested in a rare display of emotion, ignoring her surprise over the fact that Kyouko had chosen to broach such a sensitive topic. "Tomoe choses to sacrifice herself for ordinary people, individuals who don't know her and never will. Madoka isn't like that. She's special. She's..." The girl paused then, unwilling to sound crazy to anyone else again.

Kyouko just smiled at her again, but more sadly this time. "A god, right? That's what you said before."

Homura closed her eyes and rubbed at the temples. "Yes. An all knowing, omnipresent manifestation of a concept. Just like your faith in Heaven and its creator, I can't force you to accept that she's here, around us, in the air we're breathing right now. I can't force you. But at the very least, she's different. She's _invincible_."

The redhead shook her head, the same sad smile still on her face as she zipped up her jacket halfway.

"Nothing's invincible if it needs protecting."

* * *

**New chapter up! I'm actually rather surprised I managed to keep my promise of a biweekly upload schedule, although two weeks is actually plenty of time.**

**This chapter had less going on in it, since it was mostly dialogue. I do plan to make things pick up, however.**

**I did scrap a couple drafts of this chapter, though. I was originally going to include moments from Kiku's past, but decided not to. Do you guys like her OC? I'm not entirely sure because I lack experience with them. If you have any constructive criticism for her character, please leave it in the reviews! I do read them all.**

**~Shrrg**


	4. Only a Crack

Chapter 4: Only a Crack

Indistinct chatter clattered around Homura's ears as she took the almost monotonous trek to school, hearing the early bell chime its mechanical beat over the air like a drunk fairy. Everyone who attended the school felt drunk to her, to be honest. The innocent bliss on their faces was a bit too much to believe at times, especially now.

She grunted when the crowd of girls shifted and jostled around her, pushing her from side the side for a few moments. Besides the solitary nature of her social standing at school, Homura knew better than to totally isolate herself from others. So she usually made sure to join a big group of rather accommodating classmates before passing through the gates, to at least emulate an appearance of sociability. Nine tenths of perceptions when it came to people were based on observational assumptions, anyway. Most individuals were too lazy to look any further than that. Still, she had to wonder occasionally if it was worth having to suffocate within this mass of human flesh. Homura was a tad bit claustrophobic.

"Isn't that right, Akari-chan?"

"Of course!"

Homura had to roll her eyes at the pointless discourse being flung around her head. Really, if she could be bothered to take the time to remove everything unnecessary these girls had ever uttered, they would probably have been mute for the first decade of their lives. She wasn't exactly berating the intelligence of her contemporaries, but it was painfully obvious that not much had happened in their lives for them to discuss.

Not that she didn't long for that herself, once in a while.

Nevertheless, Homura sighed in mock relief when they passed through the gates and the tight crowd of girls diffused throughout the campus, headed for their morning classes. She never bothered to participate in the aimless conversations, figuring her presence to be more than enough effort, but this meant listening that much more. Rubbing at her temples, she then drew her fingers through her midnight locks before glancing up briefly towards the clock tower. Something standing near the elevated position caught the girl's eye, then, and when she looked the shapely figure of Mami Tomoe was clearly outlined against the burgeoning sky. The blonde was standing atop the roof of the secondary building, not bothering to clip down the ribbons in her hair which were flapping wildly in the early morning wind. Homura paused in her movements and gave the time to stare straight back, her face emotionless for just a second before splitting into a satirical smile.

[_Sleep well last night?_] Homura asked through telepathy, the receiver of her thoughts just within the range of communication.

Mami didn't respond, simply sending back a brush of steaming anger, but it was enough to satisfy the younger Puella Magi. Smiling contentedly, Homura looked away and walked calmly into the first building, heading for homeroom. The blonde narrowed her eyes at the door where her adversary had disappeared, as if she could will her to return and face off properly. But this never happened, and the older girl was forced to turn back and meld into the shadows behind the walls.

Inside, Homura brushed wordlessly past her classmates, heading straight for the desk without looking around or making eye contact. Normally she would have nodded at a few girls she could respect passably, but she didn't bother today. Setting her things on the usual assigned desk and sitting down, Homura reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper which had been folded over several times. Making sure that nobody was snooping on her intently, the girl began to unfold the note. It wouldn't be the end of the world if somebody happened to see the contents of the paper, seeing as not many individuals would be able to understand what it was, but the best way to avoid questions was to keep them from being asked to begin with.

The old, worn paper crinkled comfortably under her fingers as she spread it out, smoothing over the deep creases crisscrossing the white surface. Two black eyes took in the red lines dotting various spots here and there; it was a small map of the southwestern districts of Mitakihara, with its focal point set at the local hospital there. She had taken a larger map of the entire city and cut out this specific area of it, for the purpose of marking the progress of the region's festering. Yes, this was what she and Tomoe had originally conflicted over; the hotspot which she personally wanted to leave alone, so that they may eliminate large numbers of demons in one fell swoop.

The stubborn blonde had far from agreed to her idea, however. The hospital at the center was the main catalyst, as it was the only major medical institution within a relatively poverty stricken-area. Meaning the majority of injured citizens were staying there, an ideal breeding ground of despair and thusly, demons. Even before Homura had reunited with the other two Puella Magi, she had been routinely keeping the districts surrounding the hotspot demon-free, in an effort to fence in the demons she decided to ignore, and so far the technique had born fruit. Kyubey had yet to report any activity near the hotspot after she had sent him on several reconnaissance missions. She wasn't about to let Mami negate all her hard work.

Unscrewing a bright red pen, the black haired girl added a few fresh marks to the paper. She had half expected Mami to do something extreme after finding about the hotspot itself, such as diving into the middle of the southwestern district to clean out the whole area, but no such thing had happened. For the blonde's safety, this was probably best. The region had been festering for months on end already, so trying to take on the massive amount of demons probably inhabiting the streets would have been suicide. It wouldn't have been the same as taking on random packs during nightly hunts. These demons were _concentrated._ Like rats trapped in a cold garage for years. Mami had also tried to question Homura's morality at accepting such a plan, but even this accusation felt invalid to the shield user. After all, there was nothing she could do to help the residents of the hotspot. She couldn't solve their financial or living or health problems, and the only thing she could do for them was kill demons. After another month of waiting, she and Kyouko would clear out the entire district, with or without Mami's help. Anybody should be grateful for a few months with zero demon activity.

Internally, she decided to check on the hotspot herself after school ended that day. She couldn't entirely trust Kyubey's judgement; it may have its own reasons to lie to her. It wouldn't be a long journey, seeing as their school was in the center of the entire city, in order to make it accessible to all districts, so she was as close to the southwestern as she was to any other part of the city.

The door rattled and the chatter died down for a moment when the homeroom teacher walked in.

"Alright, so today we will be learning..."

The rest of the day slipped by as it always did. First and second period, break, third and fourth. Homura had seen the high school anime and drama about the difficulties of contemporary education, all of which usually had a character who struggled to perform at school. She had personally never understood such characters. Ninety percent of high school level education was paying attention and jumping through the hoops which were placed in front of you, after all.

The lunch bell rang, and Homura made the daily walk to her locker to trade out books for nourishment. Her recent quarrel with a certain blonde was still lurking at the back of her mind, but she wasn't giving it any particular mind. It wasn't like her to steam over things, mostly because she was the one making others steam. And Mami was steaming right now, that much Homura was sure of, and that was enough for her. The only reason why Christians became offended by nonbelievers was because they proved that faith had its flaws. Then she remembered Kyouko was a Christian and felt a small stab of guilt. It didn't feel right to ridicule her friend's lifestyle.

Her friend.

Were she and Kyouko friends? Homura really didn't know. Others might not have guessed it, but she had a very profound understanding of what friendship was. Anybody simply had to look at her relationship with Madoka to understand, but the problem was nobody could actually do that as so she was viewed as a loner. But Homura preferred it that way. Still, her bonds with both Madoka and Kyouko were different in that they were magical girls, just like her. Somebody had said that most friendships are born from similar interests or situations, which supported the hypothesis that she and Sakura-san _were_ true friends...but was that really an absolute rule of thumb? She had told Mami in the alleys that friends were people who would fight for you, even if it meant going against you, and Homura supposed Kyouko was willing to do that for her. She didn't really know, though.

_Am I over thinking it?_ She wondered briefly, closing the locker and turning to go to her usual spot for lunch. Maybe being friends with someone wasn't as monumental as she thought it was. To be frank, Homura had a very small sample to base judgements off of. She had had difficulty speaking with others due to her shy disposition, and her relationship with Madoka could never be described as normal. So it wasn't realistic for Homura to instinctively know whether she and Kyouko were friends or simply two people under the same problem. But then she remembered something someone else had said, maybe in a show somewhere:

_You don't just know when you become friends with someone. You just look up one day and realize that you are._

Shaking her head, Homura turned the corner. She really didn't know. To be honest, they hadn't spent much time together in this timeline either. So there hadn't been much opportunity to determine the true nature of their bond. Or so she claimed, as the memory of a certain couch decided to pervade her memory, forcing a small blush.

Her momentary embarrassment was cut off when she saw someone paused at the end of the hall, arms crossed and staring intently in her direction. Pausing, she looked up and saw a certain blonde standing stationary ten yards in front of her. Smirking and regaining her steps, Homura closed the distance between them until they could feel each other breathing, not even looking the third year in the eye as she attempted to brush past. But this was impeded when Mami turned and seized her by the elbow. Forced to skid to a halt, the black haired girl turned slowly to face her opponent.

"What makes you think you can just walk past me like that?" The blonde hissed, tightening her grip.

Homura just smiled back amiably. "Nothing at all. Why? Were you expecting something?"

The older girl narrowed her eyes. The hall had emptied out by now. "Don't just think you can say the things you say and walk away from it every time. The world is bigger than yourself and what you want, you know. Just because it doesn't affect your goals doesn't mean it doesn't matter."

"What, like elderly men enjoying the night air?" The black haired girl slicked back, twisting until the blonde was forced to let her go. "I wouldn't be surprised to learn that you tried to raise your parents before crawling out of the crib yourself. You almost killed Kyouko back there."

"Oh, so now you're suddenly so worried about her?" Mami snapped back, advancing so their eyes could clash. "Convenient, because she's so precious to you, right? Don't make up excuses, Akemi. "You're just out to get me, aren't you?"

Homura bared her teeth and balled her fists, making the older girl step back a small fraction. "You have no right to say such things. Nothing can justify your mistake. It just makes you seem like more of a fool to defend yourself even when you're clearly at fault. You gave into impulse and it cost you. Admit it! Nobody is free of that mistake. Not even myself. You're far from the perfect being you strive to be."

Mami had gone silent by this point, and was simply staring at her, wordless. Suddenly, Homura wondered if she had pushed the girl too far. She had had no intention of being lenient with the blonde, but inducing another breakup between them was far from ideal.

Regardless, Tomoe just gritted her teeth and looked away at the ground. "You don't know what you're talking about," She growled. Whirling on her heel and walking past her underclassman, she muttered, "I won't be coming to the hunt tonight. I'll go hunt in another district," Before disappearing down the hall.

_Good. We don't want you there._

After Homura heard the footsteps fade away for good in the distance, she at last allowed her shoulders to sag. She enjoyed putting Mami in her place, but sometimes it was a bit exhausting to do. But really, she couldn't allow this to continue. Constant infighting among them would only lead to more conflicts. Yet what was she to do? Accept the blonde's ridiculous philosophy of a justice which wasn't even genuine? That wasn't an option. No, Tomoe had to learn for herself that her way of thinking was wrong, but Homura had no idea on how to facilitate this.

Then, unknowingly to both of them, the answer presented itself.

Pausing, Homura lifted her head and turned to stare at the nearby corner, saying, "You can come out now. I know you're there."

There was a rustle of clothing and a muffled cough as the eavesdropper was caught in the act, and Homura crossed her arms and waited as a tall third year sheepishly revealed herself from the shadows. The black haired girl took in the girl's sparkling chocolate colored hair and recognized her immediately.

"Hanezawa-san," She sighed, "What are you doing here?"

"Eh?" The upperclassman stumbled for words for a moment, apparently still shaken at her discovery. "Um...I was looking for Mami, because we always share lunch together, you know, and you two seemed to be discussing something important..."

Homura frowned. So this girl had overheard their conversation? Well, she didn't expect it to become a problem. Hanezawa most likely would have been unable to understand anything they had been talking about. Still, she didn't like the fact that they had been overheard. It felt like this outsider had managed to peek inside of her.

"Well, it wasn't anything particularly dire," The black haired girl replied, cooly uncrossing her arms. "Why don't you follow her, then? I believe she went off to meet you."

The brunette seemed to consider this for a moment before shaking her head, offering a small attractive smile. "No, I don't think I will. She looked pretty upset. For anyone else I would have gone to help them immediately, but Mami-chan's different, you know? I find it's best to leave her be for a little while when she's mad."

Homura pursed her lips, already slightly bored with the conversation. "I see. You must know her very well, then."

The other girl laughed, a high, tinkly sound. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. She's my best friend." Then she paused, staring. "Are you...close with Mami-chan as well?"

She had to roll her eyes at that one. Mostly because she didn't know how she genuinely wanted to answer. _Oh yes, of course. We hang out and kill demons every night! _As if she could say something like that. So she just shrugged and said, "We're...connected through several mutual projects, I suppose you could say."

"Oh," Hanezawa said dumbly. "I see the two of you talking alot at random moments sometimes, so I thought you were good friends. Are you going to eat lunch, Akemi-san?" She added, pointing at the box the black haired girl was holding.

Homura looked down at it. "Yes. Why?"

The upperclassman grinned. "Mind if I joined you?"

"...Why?"

The brunette just shrugged. "My usual lunch partner isn't available at the moment," She said jokingly. "And I don't know...I'm just sort of curious about you, I think. And the best way to learn about someone is to talk to them. So I'd be honored if you would accommodate me."

Homura eyed the oddball of a girl standing smiling in front of her. Yet another peer who operated on principles she would never begin to understand. But then, she remembered the curiosity which had driven her to meet Kyouko again. A desire to understand them, and why they had been saved. Perhaps the same kind of curiosity was driving Hanezawa? If so, she couldn't entirely blame the girl.

Tilting her head in acceptance, she said, "Very well. Come with me."

* * *

"You have a key to the school roof?" Hanezawa asked in surprise as the two of them stood at the highest level of stairs in the entire school, Homura calmly pushing the key into its proper place.

"Yes. I can't really tell you how I got it, though," The younger girl replied earnestly.

"Shady business, eh? I like that," Kiku said in an attempted joke, but Homura failed to show any amusement, making the upperclassman pout a bit. Rolling her eyes again, she keyed the door and pushed it open, letting the sunlight outside rush in. The black haired girl briefly hoped she wouldn't run into another prospective romantic up here again.

Thankfully, the rooftop was empty, save for the air slipping between the chain link fences surrounding the exterior. There was a flower box sitting against the edge of the concrete, some of its flowers blooming while the rest continued to wither away. Homura passed through the door with Kiku following, walking to the bench she habitually ate at and sitting down. There was another bench facing across hers, and she expected the brunette to take that one, so Homura was surprised when her upperclassman decided to take a seat beside her. She did not comment on it, however, and simply began to unpack her meal; a simple set of rolls.

Hanezawa was about to attempt to strike up a conversation herself when a familiar consciousness rose and melded with hers.

[_I was not aware you and Akemi-san were acquainted,_] Kage's voice murmured inside her skull.

The brunette bit her tongue, severing the coming words where they stood. [_We weren't really, till just now. She seems like a nice enough person. Not awfully emotional, but nice. Don't you think?_]

[_I don't usually take the time to make such judgements of character,_] Her shadow responded. [_But it may be best to avoid this girl_.]

[_Why?_]

There was slight pause. Then: [_It would be...inconvenient. For both you and me. But ultimately, the choice is yours._]

Then he was gone before she could say anything.

Blinking herself back to reality, Hanezawa discreetly glanced at the shorter girl sitting beside her and realized that they had been sitting in apparent silence for a few minutes now. A small stab of guilt blossomed inside her breast. It must be awkward for her underclassman. The black haired girl was calmly eating her rolls without saying a word, but it couldn't be said whether this was from actual poise or nervous silence. Kiku didn't know that much about her yet.

Clearing her throat, the older girl said somewhat sheepishly, "So...some nice plants we got there, huh?"

Akemi paused in her eating to toss a cursory glance at the plant life. "Most of them are dying," She replied cooly.

Kiku looked over and was dismayed to find that her underclassman was right. The awkwardness that she had initially detected on Akemi was now festering inside of her own chest. She hadn't really believed the rumors about Akemi Homura and her legendary coolness, finding such talk to be hardly credible, but it seemed that she would have to reconsider her position. The black haired student hadn't said or done anything to make the atmosphere tense, in fact she was rather polite, but there was something in the way she carried herself, the aura she exuded that put other people on alert.

"...Oh," Kiku saved, laughing nervously. "Maybe I should have looked first."

"That's alright," Homura replied. "Most people don't."

The older girl paused. "What do you mean?"

The black haired girl just shrugged, chewing thoughtfully on a roll. Kiku really wondered if the girl was just stoic or honestly didn't care for the conversation at hand. "Nothing important. Just something I see often in people. They tend to commit to things without thinking. It's quite irritating, really."

Kiku chewed on this idea for a few moments. Beyond the fence, a bird coughed uncomfortably. "Well, I guess I know what you mean," She reasoned. It felt odd; she hadn't expected Akemi to be one to think about abstract topics. She seemed like such an objective person. "But I don't think it's that big a problem. Some great things happen by chance, right?"

Homura just shook her head. "From my experience, it isn't worth the risk."

"Hmm..." Kiku hummed, leaning back on her hands to stare up at the open expanse above her. "That's a pretty heavy statement to make, for someone so young. You sure you're right on that?"

The underclassman paused in her chewing. "Yes. Of course. It doesn't matter how long I've been alive. My decisions are probably based in more information that most people, anyways."

Hanezawa had to swallow. It was ridiculously difficult to pose as an older figure to this girl. Kiku wasn't someone who habitually played the "senpai" card, but she had thought it might help lighten the mood in this situation. The black haired girl had thoroughly denied her that, however. Briefly, she wondered why she was even here to begin with. Then she remembered her best friend's steaming anger, and her curiosity at its cause.

"You talk like an elderly woman," Kiku laughed. "What's happened to make you think like that, eh? I thought our generation was supposed to be the most liberal one ever."

Homura abruptly let her chopsticks clack together, making her upperclassman jump just slightly. Turning, the girl looked the brunette in the eye, a small spark of sadism residing in her own. "Perhaps. But certain truths can't be denied. Take your friend, Tomoe-san, for example; terribly brazen, never thinks things through. It is people like her who helped to fortify my opinion."

Kiku raised an eyebrow. "I thought you two weren't that close?"

Homura shrugged again. "You don't need to be intimate with someone to understand them. I understood that girl the moment we met. And I learned to be wary of her."

Kiku felt a small wave of offense at the underclassman's harsh judgement towards her friend. It felt wrong to hear, but she did not offer her opposition. "Well, I can't say she doesn't run on her instincts," She said graciously. "But is that really such a bad thing? Those people who always mull over everything before taking action...sometimes all that waiting hurts them. Or makes them awfully stubborn."

Homura snorted. "Well then, Hanezawa-san, let me offer you a hypothesis: if you were in danger, and Tomoe-san was the only one capable of saving you, would you want it? If it meant her risking her life?"

The brunette smiled again, a movement which bothered Homura for reasons she could not pinpoint. "No."

The shield user nodded. "Precisely. Because it is foolish and naive, and jointly, irritating."

"No," Kiku repeated.

Homura looked up in surprise.

"No," The older girl said a third time. "Even if that's why she would come to save me, I have no say in it, even after all this time I've spent with her. You can't dictate what other people choose to protect and fight for. You probably aren't aware of it, but Mami-chan taught me that a long time ago." She smiled again. "If coming to save me meant risking her life, I wouldn't want Mami to do it. But not for the reasons you assume. It isn't because the decision is most likely based on blind judgement, but because I'd worry for her."

Homura narrowed her eyes. "That's folly."

"I don't think so. Mami can think however she likes; as her friend, I can accept anything she decides on. But not if it means sacrificing herself for anyone, especially me. People shouldn't give their lives to others. I see it happen sometimes, and it breaks my heart; when my grandmother died, my grandfather spent five years mourning her before passing away himself. The last five years he would ever live, all spent on another person. No matter how much they loved each other, I'll always feel like those years were wasted." Kiku paused. "That's why I think any reason to fight is fine, except self sacrifice. Because that one's based on the most selfishness, not whatever you would like to accuse Mami of having."

The last of those words left her mouth, and a deafening silence settled in between them both. With a sudden shock, Kiku knew that she had gone too far. Surely, it had all been in defense of Mami, but she had basically just gone off to someone she had just met. Biting her lip, she looked down at Homura.

But the younger girl didn't seem angry. Instead she was nodding slowly.

"I can see the merits of your point of view," She replied. "I might not necessarily agree, but I can understand it. Only time will tell which one of us is right."

Kiku, still a bit surprised at her underclassman's inherent poise, could only smile again.

"It's always been that way."

* * *

An agonized shriek filled the night sky when Kyouko's crimson spear split down the middle, the last few wisps of despair fading away like a fleeing cloud of moths. The weapon's owner let out a deep exhale she hadn't know she was holding before relaxing her battle stance, leaning back on her heels before looking up at the dark sentinel watching over the skirmish.

Homura was crouched at the end of a stone outcropping atop the nearest high building, and from this distance the redhead could still see her midnight colored bow humming purple with the bolt strung to its string, at the ready. They had decided to deploy the same tactic as the previous hunt for tonight's run, but the idea proved to be less efficient with only two participants and not three. Proof that no matter how naive they may be, an extra pair of hands was always beneficial. But Kyouko had no intention of forcing the matter with any of them; most people would have identified her as stubborn, but compared to the other two she was the most compliant person on the planet.

Sheathing her weapon, she connected to the mental airwaves. [_I think that was the last of them. Let's scout again and find any stragglers._]

She saw Homura nod and proceeded to leap atop the building, joining her comrade and landing with a heavy _thud_ beside the shield user. The world always looked a little different depending on how high up you were, like watching the sun set at the sea and taking an elevator a hundred stories up to watch it set again. Walking past her, Homura crossed the flat rooftop until she could plant a heel on the edge of the stone railing, gazing down at the cityscape shivering below them, using her vision as a Puella Magi to pick out any remaining traces of demons.

Letting out a stale breath, Kyouko crossed her arms and leaned against the stone walls, letting her friend conduct the surveillance for now. Sure, she may be slacking on the job, but at least Homura didn't have to spent all her combat time in the thick of the battle. Briefly, the redhead wondered if her weapon of choice would have changed if the circumstances of her wish were to alter as well. It wasn't entirely out of the question. Personal weapons tended to represent the Puella Magi's desire, after all. Then Kyouko wondered about Homura's shield and time stopping abilities. Where had they come from? Of course, there was always the explanation the black haired girl offered, but Kyouko could exactly...accept that at the moment.

In a sudden minor epiphany, the spear wielder then realized that she knew very little about Homura as an individual, her likes and dislikes, her past and experiences. The earliest memory she retained of the the raven haired girl was meeting her in a heated standoff induced by the natural bitterness between magical girls, and eventually teaming up with the stoic demon hunter. Then breaking apart before reuniting until the present time. Kyouko had never delved into Akemi's history before she had arrived at Mitakihara, seeing as they had never been intimate enough with each other for either of them to broach such a sensitive topic. Now, though...she pursed her lips. Was it different now?

Blinking, Kyouko shook her head. She was never going to figure out the answer to a question like that. Those were always answered by other people. Glancing upwards, she swept her eyes across the rooftop. Homura was taking an awfully long time to check for demons.

An explanation for the delay was provided when Kyouko alighted her eyes on the other Puella Magi, who was still staring down at the roofs below them, but absently. Observing her pupils told that the shield user wasn't actually paying attention to the task at hand, instead wondering about something else far away that nobody could see. Frowning, Kyouko stood up from the wall and asked softly, "You done over there?"

Homura blinked and straightened, looking around for a moment. Then she turned to face her companion. "Ah...yes. Just a few pockets left. Shouldn't take very long," She replied, but Kyouko heard the distraction there.

Humming, the redhead internally decided it was time to extend their break, and reached into her pocket to produce a box of Pocky. Tearing open the cardboard casing and pulling out one of the chocolate covered sticks, she inserted one into her mouth before asking around the snack, "You looked put off for a second there. You alright?"

"I'm fine," Homura replied firmly, but somehow Kyouko knew that the girl wasn't being entirely truthful. Why was that? Not months before, she would have been convinced by that very same response. Could it be, possibly, that she had grown to understand the girl a little better?

The older girl snapped the Pocky in half thoughtfully. "Well, if you say so." She offered the other half to her friend, but Homura just shook her head quietly.

"It's just..." The shield user began again, making Kyouko's ears twitch. "I spoke with someone today. No one particularly important. But she said some things which I couldn't exactly understand. It just bothered me for a moment, that was all."

The pastor's daughter continued chewing in silence. It was rare for the raven haired girl to admit being disturbed by anything to any degree. "What was wrong with what she said? Did she intentionally offend you?"

Homura shook her head earnestly. "No. She just said some things in a way that made me wonder how she and other people like her could reach such conclusions. It disgusted me, really, though no offense to her."

Strangely enough, Kyouko found herself laughing, her friend looking up in equal surprise. Pulling the Pocky away from her tongue, the older girl smirked and said, "Just cause something's different doesn't mean it's all wrong, you know. Didn't you say about the same thing to a certain someone?"

The redhead expected Homura to react negatively to her allusion to Mami, but the shield user just laughed drily and with irony. "Yes, I did. Maybe that's why it bothers me. For the first time, I don't know who's right."

Kyouko groaned when she stretched the arms above her head, feeling the bones popping there. "Well, whatever. Time will tell. The stronger will always come out on top." She placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the city. "You said there were only a few small spots left. Want to split up and flush them out?"

Homura, a small smile still lingering on her face, looked down as well and said, "Sure. Let's go."

* * *

Pressing a pistol to the twitching demon's head, she pulled the trigger and ended its half life.

Retracting her arm and twisting it around, she checked the smoking barrel of her weapon, retightening her silencer she had attached to it after recent hunts. It was still an odd feeling to be hunting her prey in the human plane of existence, rather than the Labyrinths in which witches usually hid themselves in the past. It meant stealth became that much more imperative, seeing as there were actual potential witnesses around to see their battles. She had Kyubey's assurance that ordinary humans had no ability to see Puella Magi while they were in their magical forms, other than a slight flicker here or there if they were particularly karmic, but Homura was hardly going to place all her faith in that. There was nothing stopping people from hearing an open gunshot.

Opening a storage portal, she stuffed the gun inside her shield and rose from her squatting position in the alley. Homura had found more need to use her firearms to fight as of late, with Mami's recent absences from their sessions, something which had dismayed Kyouko to no end. The redhead rarely showed actual displays of attachment towards other people, but Homura knew that the older girl was capable of genuinely caring for others. Otherwise she wouldn't get pissed so often.

Exhaling heavily, Homura turned and closed her eyes, mentally probing for any remaining demon presence. She swept the entire radius around her and found nothing, and was about to return in satisfaction when something caught her attention.

Twisting, she looked down the length of the alley. The clouds were covering the moon tonight, making visibility scarce, and the darkness thickened and thrashed around her. There it was again, something similar to a demon presence tickling at the edge of her mind, coming from the other end of the alley. Narrowing her eyes, she readied her shield and bow before slowly proceeding forward. The enemy was undoubtedly a demon, but the aura she had detected was different somehow; it felt foreign, altered..._thicker._

The actual distance she had to cover was not great, but due to the girl's slow progress it took her all of five minutes to reach the end of the alley. There stood the obstacle between herself and the answer; a rusted steel door sitting between the intersection of two more alleyways, the corroded bolts holding the barrier in place aged and falling apart before her. The strange presence was lurking just beyond it, and Homura was about to reach forward and tear the door off its weak hinges when an odd sense of hesitation rose up and gripped her.

_Don't do it._ These words flitted through her mind, not a product of external interference but internal instinct. Homura folded her fingers back again and took a step backwards, eyeing the handle apprehensively. She couldn't place her finger on it, but her gut was telling her to turn back immediately. And Homura had learned to trust her gut. Still, she couldn't simply leave without investigating further; whatever lay behind this steel door may be imperative to them. Especially if it was related to demons. But this logical conclusion still shirked back at the waves of animalistic fear which were now pouring from her, and Homura couldn't understand it all, didn't know why her heart was hammering in her ears like the disease had come back.

She bit her lip.

Then gritted her teeth, as she stepped forward again and gripped the handle firmly. None sense. There was nothing here which was capable of warranting such cowardice. Still, as a precaution, she sent a brief mental message, just a brush against Kyouko's consciousness to let the redhead know that she should get over here as quickly as she could.

Bracing herself, Homura raised her shield and bashed the rusted hinges, crushing them through with one blow and making the door sag in its frame with a shuddering crunch. Lifting a hand, she seized the handle and tore the now loosed door back, revealing the space hidden so fearfully behind it.

And what Homura saw would haunt her dreams till death and beyond.

A shuddering black mass was rippling in the center of what seemed to be a room in an abandoned store house, but she lacked the time to affirm this with her eyes glued to the center instead. It was shapeless, not unlike putty but _empty_, like what one would imagine a black hole to look like if it were actually visible to human perception. It was dark and seething, reminding Homura of the massive comet of despair she had seen with Kyubey after Madoka's wish, smoldering altogether with a colorless reality one could only conceptualize.

Her heart rate skyrocketed at the moment she saw it, climbing at a terrifyingly unstoppable rate until it was pounding in her ears like the steady throb of an army drum, striking in time with the weighty steps of a million soldiers. A cold sweat formed along her skin in less than a second, and a sick heat rose in her head, but Homura didn't know why, didn't know why her knees were threatening to buckle in the presence of this strange entity.

Until it began to change.

It stretched and split, before mashing together again like the invisible hands of God were playing with its malleable properties, turning in on itself before gaining a multitude of colors within its form which blended together, arranging themselves into a specific order as the strange black mass changed its shape into that of a smaller, thinner, humanoid figure. A hideous gargling was emanating from it the whole time, filling the room and Homura's ears with the roaring of her heart, an endless scream which was suddenly made finite when the transformation was complete, and the delicate frame of Madoka Kaname was standing before the world.

The end of the scream took Homura's pulse with it, and the constant drumming fled her ears like a departing train, fading away until there was only a silence of terror and incomprehension.

The animal inside took over again, and Homura tried to take a step back, but her weakening knees finally gave way and she fell backwards onto the dusty floor, lips and tongue trying desperately to form words but failing, failing because there simply were no words for her. Except for one, which slipped out of her mouth like a tentative mouse:

"M...Madoka...?"

As if her words were a sort of trigger, the form of the pink haired girl in front of her blinked and looked down at her raven haired counterpart on the ground, her face devoid of all emotion or perception. It was blank. But how Homura had missed that face! No matter the expression displayed on it, how she had yearned to see it again, to reach out with needy fingers to brush them across the smooth skin there before holding tight, so as to never lose it again. So much so that even now, Homura didn't recoil when the once formless black mass began to close the distance between them, walking up to where the shield user had fallen before squatting and looking her in the eye, irises still empty. No, Homura was smiling in fact, and tears were beginning to stain her cheeks, as Madoka Kaname expressionlessly reached up and offered her hand.

Homura reached the take it.

And then there was blood.

Blood. _Blood._ Pouring from Madoka's fingertips, bubbling and boiling despite the night's freeze and spreading everywhere, covering her entire body and consuming it like a shapeless crimson hand of judgement. Homura did not even find it within herself to flinch back, her mind too broken at this point to do much more than watch, watch as the girl who had been squatting before her a moment ago began to bleed from every hole and orifice in her body. Those pale white hands dripped with red, the liquid pattering on the concrete floor as her eyes turned inside out and disappeared, the sockets left behind quickly filling up with more blood as the girl leaned forward and reached out, almost desperately, the mouth hinging open and coughing another gout of crimson all over Homura's front.

Then it spoke, but not in Madoka's voice, but some _thing_ else's voice, something alien in all the wrong ways, like the edge of a rusted blade grating across her heart as the _thing_ crawling in front of her choked out one single word.

_"H...Homu..ra..."_

Her mind broke. It simply did. All the layers she had built around herself until this moment, all the self defenses she had developed to protect herself and her psyche, it was all tossed aside when Homura screamed and kicked out, this attack the only rebellion she could muster. Madoka's body was thrown back, unbelievably light, landing among the ruins in the shadows like a broken toy as Homura curled in on herself and screamed, clutched her head and screamed again, nothing else left but the need to scream until the rest of the world managed to whisper back.

There was no rationale. No will to fight back, either, because Homura couldn't bear the thought of running an arrow through the specter crawling around in the room, simply due to its resemblance to Madoka. Lifting her head and daring to look over at the pile of rubble the shadow and fallen in, her eyes met the bloodied outline of a pink haired head growling and struggling to rise from the mess.

Homura was about to choke on her own breath and scream again when the wall behind her exploded.

* * *

[_Will she be healthy enough to return to hunting tomorrow?_]

Kyouko felt a profound irritation flash through her at the thought. [_I wouldn't hold my breath, rat. I might have no idea what's happened to her, but that doesn't mean you get to decide when she moves or not._]

[_It isn't even my own choice to make,_] The white alien sitting on the windowsill above her replied curtly. [_The demons outside make that decision._]

[_...Whatever._]

Kyouko was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and watching the moon stream in from the window above her head, Kyubey occupying the sill there. The alien's position between the moon and the room was casting a long catlike shadow across the bed before them, shrouding its occupant and reminding the redhead that this had all begun thanks to the blasted alien.

But there was no time to complain about that now. The only reason why she didn't spent her days hunting Incubators rather than demons was the fact that Kyubey's race had all the answers. Or at least all the answers to be had. Sometimes, as she gazed across the room at the sleeping figure of a certain raven haired girl, she realized that most likely, nobody knew everything about their situation.

Her encounter earlier that night had more the proved this to her.

It had been almost chaos when Kyouko had crashed through the brick wall of the alley and tumbled into something like an abandoned warehouse, falling in a shower of shattered stone in front of a shaking Homura. That in itself was more than enough to throw the redhead well off balance, but turning around and seeing...well, she hadn't really known what to call it at the time. One moment it was a shifting black mass, another it was a petite girl with pink colored hair, yet another it looked just like any other demon. Her first instinct had been, surprisingly, to run. Partly for Homura's sake and partly due to the unnatural fear the thing instigated within her. Either way, she had wordlessly swept the young Puella Magi up in her arms and taken off into the night.

The demon-thing hadn't pursued them, simply watching from the hole in the wall she had created, tracking their movement with crimson eyes.

The problems didn't end upon their escape. Homura remained completely silent for the first few minutes of their flight as Kyouko carried them both through the city, leaping over rooftops and buildings. Then she had suddenly begun to thrash out of nowhere, making it awfully difficult for the redhead to hold on to the girl, as Homura began to sob something about how sorry she was and where Madoka had gone. It had gotten so bad that Kyouko was forced to shake the girl and scream for her to shut up, a tactic that managed to bear fruit despite how guilty it made her feel.

They had both stumbled into her apartment then, a small room with an unused fireplace and a couple big windows here and there, Homura still softly moaning incoherent things under her breath, eyes darting form side to side. Kyouko hauled her into the bed and tucked her in, then collapsed against the wall herself, taking this position until Kyubey had eventually arrived on the scene. The alien had immediately wanted to know the details of Homura's health first, something which felt both caring and cold all at once.

Kyouko raised her head from between her drawn up knees and looked over at the sleeping girl for the thousandth time. How paradoxical it felt to watch her unconscious, with the cold hardness all gone from her face. She was well aware that many people looked much more relaxed when they were asleep, but the laxness on Homura's face was not one of comfort but weakness, like her mind was broken and not resting.

Shifting and getting on her knees, Kyouko crawled over the floor until she'd reached the bed and tucked her legs underneath her, leaning both elbows on the edge of the mattress. She set her chin on her forearms and absentmindedly watched the girl breath in and out, but it wasn't a steady inhale and exhale and more of an erratic one, making her imagine that the shield user was running from something in her dreams.

[_Kyubey._]

The alien, which had been watching wordlessly from the window, replied, [_Yes?_]

[_Just...what the hell _was_ that thing?_]

A flick of the tail. [_I do have theories. But it is not possible for me to offer a complete explanation at the moment._]

[_I don't care. Tell me your theories._]

Another tail flick, and Kyouko wondered if Kyubey was as nervous as she was. [_A new class of demons. Most likely due to some sort of prolonged evolution, or maybe progressed growth of an already existing class. In either case, it was obviously different from the standard prey you have been hunting. The one ability it exhibited was shape shifting, and based on what you have told me this new class changed to most negatively affect Akemi's mental state. Meaning...]_

[_Meaning?_] She asked, although she could imagine the rest of the hypothesis, suddenly feeling a great weight on her shoulders. Tired, so tired.

[_This new type of enemy, this new class...may be specialized to change its form based on its target's greatest weaknesses,_] Kyubey continued. [_I do not believe this...legend about Madoka Kaname, but she is very real to Akemi. There must have been something which prevented Akemi from attacking something that resembled Kaname. And if you were to seek my opinion..._] The alien turned its head and looked at the sleeping girl.

[_I would say it was thoroughly effective._]

Kyouko cursed under her breath. It was moving too fast, all of it. So many things had changed in the last two weeks alone. Their reunion, the quarrel with Mami, the strange case of Kiku Hanezawa, and now this. Yet still, she found herself to be unjustified in complaining. Because when she looked over at Homura, saw the cold sweat breaking out all over her brow and the tightening eyelids even in sleep, Kyouko knew the raven haired girl had it the worst of all of them. Even if she was unable to understand them, Kyouko knew that there was a plethora of problems neither she or even Kyubey was unaware of. Yet the shield user, with her well earned pride and calm disposition towards everything, tackled each challenge with poise.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that Homura was only fourteen, an age at which most other girls' greatest problems resided in the next math test and whose birthday party to attend. Just another reminder that in the universe of the Puella Magi, time and age meant nothing. Not when Kyouko considered Homura to be her equal, and sometimes her greater. There was only strength of will. Nothing else.

[_Hey, rat,_] Kyouko thought softly, reaching out to tuck the blankets a little tighter around her friend, [_Do you think that hotspot around the hospital is the reason for all of this? I don't know why, but the fact that we're just...leaving those demons to mill around unchecked kind of bothers me. Could that have been the cause?_]

The alien's initial silence was more than a sufficient answer. [_Yes. Of course. In fact, it is the most likely cause. In all the time I have worked with you or Homura or even Tomoe, there hadn't been a case where demons weren't destroyed on sight. The idea of letting the hotspot fester was unprecedented. So it would not be surprising if such an idea yielded unprecedented results._

_I had always been curious to see what would take place if demons were left to live, but the opportunity never presented itself._] Kyubey blinked emotionlessly again. [_Even now, a proper experiment cannot be conducted. But I have seen enough to guess that if demons are left unchecked for long enough, they may eventually progress to a stronger stage of despair. What you and Akemi-san encountered today was likely a product of this._]

Kyouko frowned deeply, absentmindedly reaching out to brush a strand of hair out of Homura's eyes, then blushing once she realized what she was doing and retracting her hand. The discovery of a new enemy should probably have been the highest priority on her mind at the moment, but somehow the sleeping girl in front of her took greater precedence. When they had first met, she and Homura, they had almost immediately been at each other throats. Kyouko had instinctively wanted to correct the apparent error in Homura's ways.

Yet now that they were friends, and she had grown to understand the shield user just a little bit more, that desire for correction had turned into a protective drive. How odd it was, to want to shield the great Akemi Homura from danger, the magical girl who could take on multiple hordes at once without backup and emerge unscathed in every aspect. It seemed very much like the raven haired warrior needed no protection at all, but Kyouko still felt the urge to do so, like Homura was a Soul Gem containing the essence of something important.

The redhead sighed. _You are so awfully frustrating, you know that?_ She thought with a small smile, the moon reaching its greatest height outside and filling the room with its gentle glow. Kyubey had turned away and was staring out the window, lost in its own otherworldly thoughts, and suddenly the world felt very small around her, closing in until it held only herself and Homura, and what resided between them.

There was a soft cough, and the figure in the bed shifted restlessly.

Blinking in surprise, Kyouko leaned back from the bed and watched as Homura regained consciousness, but still keeping herself on guard. The girl had obviously been in a hysterical state when she had rescued her. There was no guarantee the trauma had worn off with rest.

Groaning with an unexplainable stiffness, the black haired girl lifted herself up from the mattress, facing away from Kyouko and towards the wall. A mass of messy hair rose with her, drifting about her face and neck like a veil. The girl stayed like that for a long while, supporting herself with her arms and staring at the wall, and Kyouko imagined her eyes would look blank and confused if she were able to see them.

Finally, Homura turned very slowly to face her friend. Kyouko simply sat back and waited, knowing it wouldn't do to push the younger girl, seeing as it worried her enough to see her moving around already. The lamp sitting on the bedside table steadily illuminated Homura's face inch by inch, until they were both facing each other, one with a concerned but relieved expression and the other with a lost stare.

Then the memories began rushing back in. The cloudiness in Homura's eyes went from thick to nonexistent when the irises filled with a panicked energy instead. Kyouko felt a deep dread inside. So the girl had yet to recover. That wild light was still there, painted on and set by the memory of the girl who had become a god, kept there by the power of fear. Feeling a small pity growing within, the redhead reached out and murmured, "Hey. You're awake-"

The words were slashed when Homura saw the movement and flinched back, retreating to the edge of the bed against the far wall. Kyouko frowned and dropped her hand, trying not to let the hurt show on her face. It was obvious that the shield user was not mentally stable at the moment. She couldn't condemn the girl for anything she did. So instead the older girl remained silent, for fear of provoking another adverse reaction.

Turned out, she didn't have to try. Homura sat leaning against the far wall, muttering incoherent things to herself. Then her neck suddenly stiffened, and she looked up, the wild light intensifying in her eyes. Moving with an astonishing quickness, she scrabbled to her knees and began to crawl off the bed, panting, "Madoka...oh, God, Madoka..." Then her feet hit the cold wooden floor and she began to run, tearing across the room in a desperate pursuit for something that was not there.

Kyouko did not know what drove her to move. Perhaps it was that same desire to protect. But her limbs were moving before she knew it, and a second later she had dove and seized Homura around the waist, using her weight to drag them both down to the floor with a solid _oomph._

The black haired girl immediately began to thrash when she found herself restrained, abruptly beginning to yell, "No! No, Madoka! I have to-"

"Shut up!" Kyouko roared, getting up on her knees and roughly hugging the girl to her chest. She held the smaller girl tight, letting the shock of the sudden move settle down and choke out Homura's cries. The younger girl gasped and her cries dissipated, instead being choked out by a shocked silence as the redhead allowed herself to relax her ironlike grip and sigh, burying her nose into those silky midnight locks.

"Shut up," She repeated again, softly this time. Homura was breathing heavily, the rise and fall of her back pressing against the redhead's chest. Shifting a bit, Kyouko wrapped both arms around the other girl's stomach and pulled her closer. "Don't go out there. Don't chase after her, Homura. It's only going to hurt you."

"But..." The shield user croaked, lifting a hand and reaching out towards the door. Kyubey watched the entire spectacle from the window.

"No," Kyouko said gently, leaning forward and taking that outreaching hand in hers, pulling it back to her waist until she could lace their fingers together and keep them secure. "What you saw, what you think you saw...Homura, it isn't real. Trust me. Just an illusion meant to scare you."

Much to her irritation, Homura just shook her head again. "It was real. I _saw_ it."

Kyouko felt a deep frown cut into her lips. "No, it isn't. Just because you witness something doesn't mean it's genuine." She said so coldly, and she felt Homura go a little limp in her arms. Realizing she was perhaps being to harsh, the redhead returned to a more accommodating tone, despite her true feelings. "The world out there is so full of lies, and danger...it's hard to believe everything you see. So believe me. And stay here. You trust me, right?"

Homura didn't say anything back, instead biting her lip and staring at the ground.

Kyouko was so unused to seeing the younger girl like this that it hurt. Never had Akemi Homura shown weakness to anyone else, never had she lost control or let the fear take over. This was really the first time she had seen the human side of her. And it was terrifying her beyond measure. What would she herself see, if she were to encounter that demon? Who would it change to take the form of? Her father? The rest of her family? Whatever it may be, if it was enough to break Homura, it was entitled to more than its fair share of fear. Suddenly, Kyouko felt a great need to comfort the shield user, if only to assure herself.

Turning, Kyouko brushed her nose against the smaller girl's ear, making her breathe in and out a little harder for a moment. "I know there are some things you can't live without," She whispered, praying that her words were reaching the girl. "And sometimes it becomes really hard to protect them. I know. You have so many things you want to protect..." She felt Homura's hard grip on her elbow lessen. "...but you shouldn't have to take it all on yourself. Let me help you. I don't want you to throw yourself out there like this. You can call me selfish, but...I want to protect you, too. So I can't let you leave. Not like this."

Kyouko waited for a very long time as Homura sat there, limp now and trapped in her full embrace, digesting the meaning of the redhead's words. She half expected the shield user to shake her head and struggle to break free again, but instead she quietly nodded and gently untangled herself from Kyouko's arms, wordlessly padding back to the bed and crawling underneath the sheets.

The redhead didn't speak either, instead pulling up a chair to watch over her friend. She waited for several minutes, not moving a single muscle until she had confirmed that Homura had fallen asleep. Then she rose from her seat and walked purposefully across the room, picking up her crimson Soul Gem on the way. She had made a pledge to Homura to protect her, and she had no intention of failing. Homura had been the one to seek out so many things which had let to their bond; she had been the one to seek their reunion, the first to question Mami's morals for the sake of the entire group, the first to admit that none of them had the perfect philosophy. Now, Kyouko felt, it was her turn to do something for them all. If not that, then at least for Homura, because somehow she hated nothing more than the broken look on her face at that moment.

[_Where are you going?_] Kyubey demanded, leaping down from the windowsill to further his inquiry.

Kyouko felt the cold kiss of the doorknob when she grabbed it and turned.

[_To find that fucking demon.]_

* * *

**Just to make things clear, I have no dislike/aversion to Madoka's character. I like her a lot actually, but I decided to use her for more negative purposes in this chapter. Speaking of which, I hope Homura's reaction to the shape shifting demon wasn't too drastic. I don't want to make her seem weak.**

**In response to Cyborg's review, I wasn't really implying anything about the timelines. Also, I wasn't exactly hinting at a decapitated Mami, but I found your interpretation to be very funny for some reason o-o**

**In response to StormFarron185: I wouldn't be so sure ;) The tags have been changed to include the Romance category. Plus I do enjoy Kyou/Homu. But we'll have to see.**

**Do review!**

**~Shrrg**


	5. Sacrifice

Chapter 5: Sacrifice

Kyubey's range of communication with her mind was quite reaching its limits, but the alien continued speaking as if this wasn't a relevant restriction.

[_I wouldn't advise tracking this anomaly down. It is highly probable that it will not end in a favorable result. At least let me accompany you._]

Kyouko's boots struck the sturdy concrete of a roof, her powerful legs bunching and launching her high into the air again. The night whistled past her like she was a train in a tunnel. [_No. Stay with Homura. Watch over her. Fail and you'll have me to answer to._]

The redhead felt the Incubator's disapproval but said nothing to oppose her. [_Very well_.]

She exceeded the range of communication then, and the subconscious voice broke off abruptly, or rather its presence.

Arcing down from a particularly high jump, she landed atop a tall spire that ended in a needle-like projection, as if a lethal injection were being given to the heavens. The Puella Magi gripped the spire in her hand, leaning against it as she scanned her surroundings. She was in the same area as she had been hunting earlier, meaning the neighborhoods around her were completely free of demons; anything evil she detected had to be exactly what she was looking for, since the anomaly was the only enemy yet to be defeated.

As she looked, the spear wielder realized that she was awfully close to the edge of the hotspot Homura had mapped out. So close in fact, that she could see the rooftops that marked its beginning not so far in the distance. She vaguely prayed that her search wouldn't lead her past that boundary, but there was no real conviction to put the wish into practice. If it became necessary to enter the hotspot, she would. Letting the shape shifting demon get away didn't feel like an option to her.

Why was that, she wondered, as the redhead darted down from the spire, mentally sweeping all the while, her spear clacking against the stone occasionally as she moved deftly through the air. Why was she so driven to track down her quarry? Of course, there was the worry of what a new type of enemy would accomplish without their knowledge, but there was something more than that, something _raw_, that was serving as her motivation. Thinking back, Kyouko remembered the moment when Homura had turned to face her in the bed, and she had seen the broken look in those bottomless eyes, those eyes that had become bottomless to eat an endless amount of despair. She had seen this and hated it upon realizing that there were things that could bring down the greatest of them all.

Yes, she did consider Homura to be the most adept Puella Magi within their range of acquaintances. For all her fronts and pridefulness, Kyouko acknowledged this apparent fact. It was not a question of ability, however; there was a time when she would have cut the raven haired girl down without blinking, but that was now long past. Today, if she closed her eyes and thought about striking down her friend, it felt wrong and perverse. Kyouko knew that this probably meant she was going soft in a bad way, since apathy was the last thing a magical girl needed.

Yet strangely, she did not mind.

It felt good to rely on someone, once in a while.

_But now, she's relying on me,_ Kyouko thought. _I can't let her down._ A very large part of her wanted Homura's trust and confidence, if only to free the girl from her burdens.

Her thoughts were broken off when something tickled the edge of her senses. Halting in her jumps, the redhead, peered down from a stone outcropping, attempting to locate the origin of the disturbance. Her eyes alighted on something that made her lips go dry for a moment.

Much like Homura had seen, it was nothing but a shifting black mass. But Kyouko had neglected herself the luxury of harassing the other Puella Magi for details, meaning this was the first time she had observed it properly. The redhead blinked when she realized her pulse was going through the roof; what was it about this entity that inspired her instincts so? And oddly enough, it didn't seem to notice her. If it did, no attention was being paid. Narrowing her crimson eyes and looking beyond the anomaly, Kyouko understood why.

Mami was standing on the ground on the same level as the black mass, otherwise alone in the wide alley below. The blonde was in battle form as well, an unfired musket still hanging at her side, but the girl's grip on the trigger was weak and lax. Her other hand, empty, was raised and reaching forward, towards the anomaly while a sickeningly joyous look continued to spread across her face. Kyouko bared her teeth and gripped the handle of her spear, reading to pounce down and take out the enemy when she heard her senior's voice floating through the air.

"Oh, Kiku...your legs...! They're okay!"

That made the redhead pause for a moment. Legs? Why would Mami be concerned about Hanezawa's legs? They'd never met face to face, but Kyouko was aware of the situation concerning the brunette, and never had her name been associated with issues concerning her legs. Then, shaking her head and frowning, she did her best to banish the thought. It didn't matter what the blonde was talking about. Either way, that demon had to die.

Hefting her spear, she angled the tip towards her adversary, crouching in preparation. The redhead didn't yell or call out to her fellow magical girl, for fear of alerting her prey. Then, allowing a clock to tick down to nothing in her head, Kyouko shot downwards spear-first like a deathly silent eagle.

_Clang._

Shock. There was no word more elaborate or appropriate available to Kyouko at that moment, as her eyes went wide when she found her attack barred by the silver gleaming length of a musket. The eyes of the weapon's owner were wide as well, not from surprise but from terror, the kind of terror an animal feels when her den is threatened by the flames of nature.

There was the briefest pause in movement as Mami absorbed the impact from the blow before shoving back, throwing Kyouko back several feet, where the redhead landed deftly on her feet. Angered by this unexpected development and searching for the quickest possibly way to dissolve it, the redhead bared her teeth again and twirled her spear, yelling, "What the hell are you doing, Mami? Get away from that thing! I have to kill it!"

The blonde's irises trembled, and the shadows crept in a little closer as she shakily lifted her musket. "I...I can't let you do that!" She spluttered, moving jerkily but slowly until, much to Kyouko's disbelief, she was pointing the barrel of the gun straight at the spear user.

"Mami. You don't _understand,_" Kyouko stressed, eyeing the twin holes of the musket warily as she raised her hands to indicate a compliance that wasn't there. "That thing isn't...whatever you think it is. It's a fake! Now step aside before you get hurt!"

"Stop lying to me!" Mami screamed, making Kyouko's heart thunder when the blonde flicked a finger and removed the safety on her weapon. "I know what this is. It's all a ploy set up by...by _her_, isn't it? And you're helping her! You're both trying to mess with my head. Well, I won't let you." Her lip trembled slightly, and her chest heaved with the miasma of hysteria. "I'll protect Kiku from the two of you!"

Kyouko felt the greatest dismay at those words. She had known the blonde for so long, had saved and been saved by her so many times, faced down the trials of life together as a team. But she had always known the fragility of her senior's mental state. She exuded an air of composure and maturity, but the truth was that she was the weakest of them all, when placed under certain conditions. A fact Kyouko had worked her entire life to forget, but tonight it didn't seem avoidable.

Then she saw it. Beyond Mami, splitting and smashing back together in a maelstrom of shifting forms and lies was the demon anomaly. She couldn't place what it was exactly; one moment a black hole, another a beautiful brown haired girl. Then it began to change again, and Kyouko felt the same terror she had seen in Mami's eyes sprout within her when the demon sprouted a priest's robe.

"Mami," She tried again, voice shaking. "You have to step aside. Right now."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," The older girl answered, her voice full of steel. As she watched the demon continue to shift, Kyouko wondered why it wasn't attacking when one of their backs were turned. Then it occurred to her that this new breed may have an intelligence of its own; the ability to calculate and manipulate, as a human would.

Just at that moment, the transformation completed and Kyouko saw her father's face smiling back at her.

All restraint was immediately deemed unnecessary. Without so much as a word, she planted her feet and blasted forward, bowling the other Puella Magi over with the force of her rush before rolling over and stabbing out wildly with her spear, praying to every divine entity she knew of that the tip would pierce demon flesh.

But failure seemed the only possible outcome. Her attack missed when a bullet fired from Mami's musket rocketed past and exploded at their feet, throwing up a massive cloud of rubble. The anomaly shrieked with laughter and broke into a storm of colorless clouds, rushing upwards and away into the night sky. Kyouko saw this and yelled out at last, yelled at the frustration of the hunt and the fact that the damn thing had her father's _face _now, had used it to smile at her like the bad times had never happened and the family was together like it had been. But it was lies, all of it lies, and she had come to terms with this, which was why she able to leap to her feet and spiral into the air in hot pursuit, leaving Mami behind in the crater they had created.

Her attempt at evasion didn't prove to be effective, however, when another bullet whistled out of the smoke below her, impacting off the flat surface of her spear and sending a painful note through the air. Looking down, Kyouko saw the debris clear to reveal a ragged looking Mami jumping up after her, that same haunted look still in her eyes.

Pulling back her lips and growling in agitation, the redhead turned away and focused all her efforts to restoring some distance between herself and Mami while simultaneously struggling to keep up with her prey; the higher demon was fleeing at lightning speed, towards a destination Kyouko was too distracted to distinguish, streaking over the rooftops below like a blank flock of cunning ravens. The chase didn't seem to be coming to a swift end; no matter the extent of her efforts, Kyouko could not catch up with the monster. And meanwhile the blonde Puella Magi behind her drew ever closer, a fact the redhead could determine based on the look of pure hatred she felt searing into her back.

Her dark red boots struck another building spire before propelling her body forward again, this time at a negative angle, aiming for the broad roof of a warehouse sitting beneath them, having decided to continue the pursuit on foot. It would slow her down, certainly, but the idea of being shot out of the air from behind didn't exactly appeal to her. The wild fluttering of the anomaly crackled through Kyouko's ears, and her feet were about to absorb the impact of her landing when she heart a faint shout behind her.

_"...Finale!"_

Kyouko's blood ran cold so quickly it completely skipped the solid stage of matter. Her heart, in brazen contrast, instead began to hammer savagely as the redhead finally landed on the surface of the rooftop but immediately began to jump again despite her earlier plans, having been forced to abandon all forethought in order to escape the massive attack she knew was bearing down upon her, just nanosecond away from impact.

The reinforced steel of the rooftop exploded half a second after Kyouko managed to leave the ground again, the raw force of the blast coupling with her airborne state to send the spear wielder wheeling through the air, mouth open in a soundless scream as debris whistled past her towards the moon, propelled at a much faster rate and glowing white hot from the detonation. Coughing within the monstrous cloud of smoke that had erupted to consume her, Kyouko twisted midair and cut through the veil with her spear, clearing a path through the obscurity. She landed hard on a smaller, tiled roof, only managing to let out a choked grunt when her weight shattered the stone layering, sending little chips of ceramic tumbling down the inclined slope as she lashed out and seized an outcropping to keep herself from falling as well.

Still wheezing from smoke inhalation, the redhead barely registered that her clothes were smoldering as she turned around and looked back in disbelief. A gaping hole had been opened up in the warehouse roof, a black column of smoke was rising steadily from the breach, and Kyouko thought she heard the sound of fire raging inside. So this was the destruction a magical girl was capable of, once her abilities were taken out of the Labyrinth. The power to not curb despair and suffering, but to cause it, a revelation that clutched at her heart like a dying old man.

And there, striding confidently out of the smoke, was the instigator of said revelation. Mami Tomoe emerged from the destruction with the fires behind her flickering in her eyes. Time seemed to freeze at that moment, as Kyouko lay sprawled against the sloped roof staring her companion down, across what was really only a hundred yards but felt like an eternity. Here was Mami Tomoe, the girl who had always stood for justice and righteousness, Mami Tomoe who had been the first to introduce a sense of community between magical girls. Mami Tomoe, the harbinger of true judgement, leaving a charred wreckage behind her without so much of a second thought.

Then Kyouko thought of the anomaly, the demon rushing away from both of them, and realized this was all because of that single monster. Not the original cause, perhaps, but the apparent one, and suddenly she had even more reason to hunt the damn thing down and rend it, tear it to shreds like it held everything that had gone sour between her and everyone else. Because of that demon, Mami had become what Kyouko truly believed she was not.

Meaning she wasn't facing her friend anymore; just something that had consumed her.

Moving with a calmness that sent shivers through the atmosphere, Mami locked eyes across the great distance that separated them and cocked another rifle.

Kyouko spat at her, and returned to the chase.

Again, she didn't look, but Kyouko knew Mami was following. Her own arms and legs moved like they never had before, and in a minute's time she had caught up with the anomaly enough to see it still fleeing in the skyline. Another thirty seconds and she could almost taste the blackness coming off its tails; but then a look away from her prey, and the redhead abruptly realized she was running out of time. The vast swath of buildings ended not twi hundred yards in front of her, petering out into a massive courtyard overlooked by a single, multistoried building at its center. The anomaly seemed to have slowed in speed as well. This was her chance! Whipping forward her weapon and releasing a guttural war cry, Kyouko planted her boots at the edge of a spire and pushed into her biggest jump yet, arcing over the remaining buildings and the oblivious people within them. Gravity took over and she was bearing down rapidly on her prey, which wasn't moving nearly fast enough to escape her fury, she was going to _succeed-_

A sickening crack as the kiss of cold steel plunged into her spine, and suddenly gravity had an ally to help it drag back down to the earth. Without having to look, Kyouko knew that she had made the crucial mistake and not accounting for her own pursuer before attacking. How could she have been so stupid? She wasn't ready to forfeit, not now when victory was so close she was practically inhaling it.

_I'm sorry, Homura._

Then all other thoughts rushed away as Mami's weight on Kyouko's back became too much and both of them hurtled out of the sky, etching a downward spiral into the air as the blonde continued to grapple the redhead from behind and force them both into free fall, the cold stoned courtyard below them rushing up too quickly, too _quickly,_ until Kyouko could only close her eyes a split second before they both crashed into the ground, sending a deep rumble through the sky.

Even when the dust settled and the hideous laughter of the demon had faded away, she didn't attempt to rise. Instead she lay face down, cheek pressed dimly into the shattered stone beneath her, shaded crimson eyes seeing nothing and everything all at once. Mami, on the other hand, spat blood out of her mouth before stumbling to her feet; the blonde hadn't thoroughly planned out her move either and had paid for it. Taking a few precautionary steps away from the spear wielder, the older Puella Magi looked warily at her fallen opponent; was she dead? Part of her hoped not, but another, scarier part of her didn't mind if it was true. Just one less threat to Kiku.

A deep frown creasing into her lips, Mami sighed and turned back, holstering her gun before walking over to Kyouko's prone figure. Squatting, she forced her hands under the redhead's body and turned her over, to which Kyouko did not protest, although a look of extreme agitation flashed across her face. Ignoring this, Mami grabbed two fistfuls of the girl's collar and yanked her up to eye level, the redhead's limp feet barely moving to support her body weight as the blonde stared into her former friend's eyes, smoldering irises narrowed and unforgiving.

Around them, the night was still dark, but Mami knew it was only two more hours till dawn broke. The threat of the night had passed.

Behind her, she heard the fires tearing the warehouse apart.

"You tried to stop me," Mami said at last, her voice low and monotone but carrying the firepower of an army. "Why?"

Kyouko didn't respond with words, instead twisting her neck and snarling, although they both knew this was an empty threat; the spear wielder was too damaged to fight back so immediately.

Mami just smiled back. "Well, I doesn't matter. You failed anyways, and that's what's truly important." The blonde then looked the redhead up and down, taking in her charred clothes and the smog smeared cheeks which were mixed with tears. "We worked together once, I'm sure you remember. We were even friends. But friends don't try to hurt those who are dear to each other. So you may now consider our relationship to be over."

Much to her surprise, Kyouko just laughed at her, the girl still hanging limply in the blonde's grip.

"That's old news, buddy," The crimson girl chuckled hoarsely. "I didn't realize it then, but it was too late for us the minute you left to save that old man."

Mami sharpened her gaze. "It does not matter when the realization came to you; the truth is the truth. By trying to hurt my friends, you've proven yourself to be deceitful."

Kyouko's heart broke when she looked down at saw those warped golden eyes staring back up at her. This was not the girl she had befriended so long ago. She could not say whether the change was permanent or not, but right now the Mami Tomoe in front of her was obsessed and blinded. She knew it would do no good to try and explain the situation, explain the anomaly, explain _everything_. So all she could muster instead was a sad smile, one filled with impossible sympathy that she knew the blonde would not be able to comprehend.

"For someone who exalts praise so much," She replied, "You're a pretty big liar yourself."

Mami smiled back again. "If you refuse to see the truth, I cannot force you. Judgement will take you in its own due course."

"Homura was right. You're fucking insane."

The swift punch that the blonde sent into Kyouko's gut after that remark made stars flash in her eyes, but the pain from the blow paled in comparison to the fact that she was saying such things, and _meaning_ them. Mami Tomoe was insane. Homura was right. And Kyouko was about to break.

"I would prefer it if you don't mention Akemi-san to me every again," Mami suggested tersely, letting her arm fall to her side, thus causing Kyouko to collapse back to the ground again. "That girl is the very epitome of obliviousness."

Kyouko didn't say anything to that, instead letting her neck fall back until she was staring up at the sky. She had failed, failed herself, failed Homura, and now Mami. It grew together into a collective wave, and now she was drowning in it, nothing left to do but listen to the sound of Mami's footsteps steadily clicking away from her.

Then halting.

"Oh my God..."

Feeling an instinctive fear inside her, Kyouko lifted her head to look.

And immediately wished she hadn't.

The map. Homura. A hospital. Hotspot. All these words blasted through her mind all at once as she and Mami watched the literal wave of demons rising up before them. Kyouko looked at the single multistory building looming over them and truly realized the extent of their blunder. The presence of one magical girl near a small demon nest was usually enough to wake them, so two Puella Magi fighting for their lives was more than likely to amplify that effect. She had a strong suspicion that the anomaly's passage through the area was also responsible.

"What...how..." Mami murmured, and Kyouko heard her own fear reflected in those words.

The demons were everywhere, everyone, everything; they were rising from the buildings, from the sewers, from the walls and the shadows, one after another after another after another, emerging so steadily and constantly that it truly felt that there was no end to them. The wall of demons built upon itself until it stretched high into the sky, reaching so ridiculously far that suddenly it was blotting out the entire sky save for the moon, and Kyouko felt like she was at the bottom of a well looking up.

Then that was gone too, because the demons had begun to descend.

* * *

_Twelve hours earlier_

The general hubbub of the students around her buzzed as it always did, but Kiku didn't find herself up to the task of dissecting the individual noises.

In fact, the brunette barely registered the sound of her show locker clicking softly shut before her feet automatically turned and propelled her through the doors of the school. This attitude wasn't entirely unlike her, as Kiku had always been somewhat absentminded, but she was particularly lost in her own thoughts at the moment.

As she slipped between the throngs of people streaming out of the school, she thought about the conversation she had had with Akemi-san a couple hours before. She had been able to understand the general meaning of the raven haired girl's words, but Kiku still had zero understanding towards what had inspire them. How did Mami know her? And why did she get the feeling their relationship was far from positive? Kiku wasn't the nosy type, but she had just enough curiosity buried within her to produce these burning questions.

It faintly occurred to her that she wasn't going to walking home with Mami today; almost an extreme irregularity in itself, as the two of them always accompanied each other home after school. But Kiku knew it was mostly due to her own actions, as she had chosen to follow her underclassman instead of the angry blonde. She just hoped Mami had managed to straighten out whatever it was that had been bothering her.

With that thought completed, Kiku returned once again to her deep mulling, barely feeling the environment around her. She numbly felt the pavement below her feet change into something rougher, blockier, but was too busy thinking to really comprehend what this meant. Only an exterior source of awareness let her know.

"Hanezawa! Watch out!"

Adrenaline! Pulsing through her veins like it had replaced her blood as the brunette snapped her head up in a nanosecond, feeling the air rush in again to replace the space her thoughts had left behind. Another half second and the sound of a roaring engine was bearing down upon her. A snap of the neck to the left and there it was, the truck barreling down the road towards her, and in the painfully brief time Kiku had to observe this she already knew there was no chance of escape. The roar of the engine was upon her now, the tires were screeching but to no avail!

A closed pair of eyes later and the feeling of cold steel slammed into her side like a brick wall, and Kiku felt gravity lose its hold on her.

The last thing she remembered was the sound of Mami screaming.

* * *

[_Homura! Homura, wake up!_]

Instant awareness. A slight tingle in her spine as the shield user's eyes shot open and she sat up ramrod straight in the bed, her hair following suit and ghosting ominously around her face. She saw Kyubey pacing agitatedly around the other end of the bed.

[_What? What is it?_]

The alien, realizing she was awake, jumped in urgency; its tail was thrashing like a dying fish. [_You have to get moving now! Kyouko and Mami are in grave danger. If you don't move quickly, they might die!_]

In the few moments following her awakening, there had been some small amount of the fear nestling at the edge of Homura's mind; the fear from earlier that night. But all of that disappeared in the wake of Kyubey's words. Kyouko. Danger. _Die._

She didn't ask for an explanation. Just tore her Soul Gem out of the blankets and leaped out of the bed, rushing across the room and out the door, leaving the worn wooden hinges creaking and open. The stairs beyond pounded under her sprinting feet as Kyubey did its best to keep up. Then her arm slammed against a door and forced it open, throwing her out onto the roof of the apartment complex and out under the wide open sky. Homura's body shone with a black light, and two majestic white wings propelled her body forward with all the haste they could muster.

Only then did she further her inquiry.

[_What's the danger?_]

The alien, bounding across the rooftops below due to its lack of wings, replied gravely.

[_They've both found themselves in the center of your hotspot, and woke up every dormant demon there that's been sleeping for months. Now they're all awake. And hungry._]

Homura took a moment to let this sink in. There was no time yet for disbelief. Then:

[_Every last demon...how long do I have?_]

[_Until they fall._]

* * *

Mami was crying.

Kiku heard the sound and immediately recognized it, whether due to the fact that she was well acquainted with it or just instinct, she couldn't accurately place.

The crying continued.

_No...don't cry..._she thought weakly. She couldn't get her ideas and motives together in a straight line; something heavy and thick was pressing down on top of her head, and her arms and legs felt like heavy lead. Still, she tried to will herself to move, and discovered she was yet able to move her fingers, albeit slightly. Kiku pushed herself harder, and a minute later she felt her hand twitch; there were no visuals to help affirm this, because her eyes were apparent glued shut and not currently functioning. The girl gritted her teeth, or at least tried to, forcing all her available strength into her right arm, until she at last managed to move the entire limb to the side, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing over something soft and springy.

Mami's hair.

The sobbing stopped abruptly, and the softness was pulled away from Kiku's fingers as the hair's owner lifted her head. She still couldn't move her eyelids very well, but she heard rapid, panicked breaths coming from above her. Kiku did her best to raise her entire arm and reached for the hair again, but found this to be beyond her abilities, and the brunette could only let her will sink back into the bed.

Then there was a thick heat around her, and Kiku heard the sound of more people shuffling around her prone form, probably looking down at her, although with concerned expressions or relieved ones she could not decide. A muffled exchange of words by her ear; and all the while, Mami continued to breathe. Kiku tried to make our what they were saying but couldn't decipher the specific sounds. Her head was still too muddled for any real thinking. She registered a dull throbbing in her calves. Her side felt stiff. All things which should have concerned her to some degree, but worry was beyond her capacity at the moment, leaving the girl nothing more to do than slip back into her slumber.

It could have been hours that passed then, perhaps minutes or days. But the next time she opened her eyes the sun was setting and it was bleeding through the windows. She wasn't completely laying down anymore, instead her back was propped up against a couple pillows, a position she immediately learned to favor due to the dull ache rippling through her hip. She awoke staring at the spot across the room where the wall met the ceiling, and was vaguely reminded of a time when two things had also collided, but couldn't exactly recall what it was.

Sound was beginning to rush in at last, but slowly and gently. There was the soft clicking of shoes outside. A general air of murmur after that. The soft creaking of a chair to her side; the rough brush of something cloth-like on her forehead. For the first time in a while, Kiku willed herself to blink and her body obeyed. She then tried to move her arms and found herself to be only partially successful; her right limb felt much more functional before, but the left felt dead, like a frozen lump of wood. A spark of concern finally managed to light itself inside of her.

Then Kiku heard the sound of an eight-wheeler rumbling by outside and remembered.

"Aw, crap..." She spoke, her voice hoarser than a freshly born chick. "Should have looked both ways."

There was a small crash and then a tumble at her emission of her words, but Kiku couldn't turn to see what its source was. But the source itself proved to have enough initiative to pick herself off the floor and rush over to her.

"Kiku!" Mami almost screamed, and the brunette in question saw tears in her friend's eyes. "Oh my God, you're awake!"

She smiled. "Guess you're stuck with me for a little while longer."

That was when the blonde really started sobbing. Mami threw herself on top of her best friend's body in an attempt to express her belief, but was forced to back off when the brunette grunted as her injuries were agitated. The third year stood up straight and took a few steps back instead, taking in the sight of her broken friend laying there on the hospital bed, and Kiku could only stare back in silence.

The injured girl knew that she must be taking this entire situation awfully well. After all, most people would probably have lost their minds after waking up covered in wrappings brought on by a collision with a truck. Kiku shut her eyes and envisioned the last of her memories. The screeching, the crash...it was all so vivid there, but it didn't bring fear, and she realized it was because Mami had been there to greet the waking day.

"Alright," Kiku whispered, balling her one working hand into a tight fist. "I'm fine now. So tell me. What's hurt? What's broken?"

"Kiku..." Mami murmured, her voice still thick with tears which weren't appropriate to shed. The blonde hesitated again, but her friend's stern stare dissuaded her. Setting her jaw, she began, "Kiku, your legs..." Then she stopped once again. "...actually, I'll get the doctor. He should be the one to give the rundown."

She turned and headed for the door then, but stopped before pulling it open. Turning back, she looked Kiku in the eye and confessed, "I'd rather not explain the details of my crime."

The door scraped open and shut itself.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

* * *

"I'm not going to lie to you, Hanezawa-san," The doctor said grimly, rubbing his thumb absently across his clipboard; the movement was irritating her greatly. "Your injuries are many and very serious. But don't despair! I can assure you a full recovery. It will be a long road, of course, but not impossible in the slightest."

Kiku's body relaxed somewhat. That was good to hear. She had faith in modern science, but there had been a small part of her which feared being told she was now a cripple, or something even more severe than that.

The doctor began pacing around the bed; Mami was watching uneasily from the farther side. "Tomoe-san here has told me you wish to know the full extent of your injuries, and the psychology department has cleared you for interaction, so I don't see the harm. The truck struck you from the left side; you broke the radius bone in your arm, as well as three ribs just below that. Luckily enough, your arm and side prevented your hips and lower spinal cord from sustaining considerable damage. The tissue there just took a good bruising."

The brunette saw the sun continue to set outside and looked down at herself. "And my legs?"

The doctor nodded. "Your left kneecap was broken in several spots and will have to be replaced. The fibula was also broken clean through. The other bones took only slight fractures. As for the bandages on your head, they will be coming off soon enough; the impact left a rather nasty gash in your scalp. The hair will grow back normally, of course."

Kiku kept looking down at herself, or rather the blanket covering her person. It was too much to take in. Suddenly her inability to move her legs and arm, and even her waist, felt very real and terrifying. Even though she had the assurance of a full recovery, the physical restrictions still made her heart begin to beat faster. The heart monitor sitting beside her bed picked this up and displayed the information for all to see, and when Mami read the screen she threw a look of pure hatred at the doctor.

"How..." The brunette said at last, making the doctor turn to face her again. "How long till I'm normal again?"

The man seemed to roll this over in his head for a while. "Well...considering time for therapy and follow up appointments, I would put a rough optimistic estimate at seven months. It's a miracle, really. Twenty years ago it would have been twice as long."

He was gone after that, and Mami retook her seat beside the bed, but the two of them couldn't find it within themselves to talk. Meanwhile, enough time passed for the sun to disappear from the sky. The city outside was plunged into momentary darkness before the lights began to flicker on. Kiku looked down from the high window at the shadows lurking below, and felt oddly like they were looking back up at her.

"Which hospital is this?" She asked at last, making Mami start and raise her head up.

"Um...Mitakihara General. West district," The blonde murmured.

Kiku frowned. "That's a long way from school..."

"They took you to a closer hospital for emergency purposes, but after you were under stable condition they moved your hear for better treatment," Mami explained. "The doctors stressed that the first twenty four hours are very important."

"How many days has it been?"

"Days? It was all today."

All today...how incredible that was. She felt decades older. "It felt like so much longer." Kiku said this as she turned her head away from the dark windows and attempted to look her friend in the eye.

The blonde evaded eye contact and stared down at her lap instead. "Yeah. They put you under using something different, they said. Slowed your entire body down so they could set everything back correctly before you woke up. Took a while; I've been here all day."

"And my parents?"

"They..." Mami hesitated. "They're on a business trip right now, as I'm sure you know. They promised to book a flight within the next three days."

Why had she even bothered to ask?

Kiku righted her head again and sighed heavily, staring up at the ceiling. It was late in the night but she didn't feel tired; probably the effects of the drugs the nurses were pumping into her, whatever they may truly be. In fact, she felt rather alive, like something was buzzing inside of her chest and making her want to get out of bed and run down the hall. But it was all a false hope, because they'd put braces on her legs, and the rest of her body was generally restricted in a similar manner. Gritting her teeth, she looked at her friend again and found the blonde still staring down.

"Mami."

"Huh?"

"Why won't you look at me?"

Her friend flinched at those words, making Kiku frown. Mami squeezed her hands together and bit her lip. "It's...it's not like I'm avoiding you or anything..."

"Yes, you are," Kiku said, without remorse no less. "You've been trying not to make eye contact ever since I woke up. What's going on?"

The blonde frowned severely and turned her head away even further, something which irritated Kiku considerably. "I'd rather not tell you."

"Mami!"

"What?" She asked savagely, rising suddenly from her seat. "What? Are you going to force it out of me? When you're tied to the bed like you are?"

Kiku felt a strange stab at her heart. "How...how can you say that? I'm only worried about you. And yes, even when I'm tied to the bed like I am. What of it? Do I need your permission to be concerned?"

Mami blinked and clenched her fists.

"No."

"Then tell me."

"It's my fault."

"What?"

"It's my fault!" The blonde yelled, snapping her neck up and looking her friend straight in the eye at last, and Kiku was shocked to find tears brimming there. "If I hadn't been angry today at school...if I'd met you like we normally do and walked you home, this wouldn't have happened! It's all my fault because I couldn't control my emotions. Because I let...let _her_ get to me like she did. It's all because of me!"

_Her? _Kiku thought. _Who's she talking about? _"That may be so," The brunette shot back, sounding surprisingly assertive when she was one confined to bed. "But it's not like I'm crippled or anything. The doctor said I'll be fine, given time. And really, nobody's actually going to blame you for what happened to me. I don't, at least. It's okay, Mami. No one's holding you responsible!"

"You're wrong," Mami replied. Kiku saw the girl's hands shaking. "I am being blamed by someone, and that person is me. It doesn't matter what anyone says, because in the end I failed, I had a duty to protect you..."

Kiku sighed. "Protect me? From what?"

Mami looked away again. "From her. From them. From everything. I don't know...but it doesn't matter anyways. I'm not even supposed to be here, apparently, yet I am...but against who's jurisdiction? _Hers,_ of course, it's always her, pulling the strings from the shadows like she knows how this is all going to turn out..."

"Mami," Kiku broke in levelly, although some of her fear crept into her voice. "Who are you talking about?"

The blonde had turned away from the bed by now, and Kiku saw her stiffen when she was interrupted. Nothing was said or done for a long while, until finally Mami straightened up a turned around, looking the brunette in the eye. All traces of her previous grief and regret were gone, so quickly and utterly that it struck even more dread in Kiku's soul.

"No one," The blonde responded calmly. "Don't worry about it. Get some sleep. I'll be going now."

In a couple of hours, Kyouko probably would have assumed that it was meeting the anomaly which pushed Mami Tomoe over the edge of her sanity. But she would have been wrong. The girl's mind had lost its battles long before that, the moment the truck had collided with Kiku's body, and she had found it reasonable to blame the accident on Akemi Homura, as well as herself.

Or perhaps, she had been insane since making her wish.

Either way, she intended to amend things. To make them operate as she saw fit.

Outside, the shadows rustled uneasily.

* * *

**This chapter was originally something like 15,000 words long. I know alot of people like long chapters but that felt like a bit much to me. So I split it into two.**

**I hope you like Kiku. I haven't really developed her though. So for those who dislike her, she won't be around for much longer. For those who don't, she'll be making a good exit.**

**Do review!**

**~Shrrg**


End file.
